Monday is Veterans Day Please Show Your Support for those who have Sacrificed so much on our Nation’s Behalf.

The Healing Project hopes that everyone in our community demonstrates their support for those who defend or defended our nation. If one spends time with active duty service members or veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars; you will find intelligent, patriotic men and women of integrity who have served for years in far off lands. In return, these men and women have returned to substandard medical care, denial of benefits and a lack of employment opportunities. Whether you are for or against these wars, one must be for the warrior.

It is time to send a message to both the President and Congress and let them know that our veterans are not political pawns and should be treated in a manner consistent with their service. The Veterans Administration budget should be passed immediately with the full funding recommended by Congress. The Congress should stop tying non-related domestic spending to the VA’s budget.

Finally, reach out to the veterans of these wars. As Bob Woodruff, the ABC News Anchor wounded in Iraq, recently stated, “When he was a boy in Michigan, hr remembers people in his neighborhood were going off to Vietnam and returning from it. Many people today know no one who is going to war or who has returned from it.” These are wonderful young men and women. If you meet those who have served, especially those who have been wounded, you will be pleased to see them present themselves with a grace, elan' and honor that defines the best of what America can be. Many of these vets have been terribly damaged physically and mentally, but they stand steady, don't complain and ask for nothing. It is time not only deliver what is promised to them but also give them what they deserve. If you’re a citizen, remember to say thank you, call your congressional representative and show your support at local Veterans Day event. If you are an employer, give these men and women and opportunity. As Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq Veteran and Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, is found of saying, “these are people who have guaranteed their work with their lives. They will not disappoint you."