Honor armed forces today

Today is Armed Forces Day. Arguably, when the nation is at war, every day should be Armed Forces Day, and every day we should honor and give special thanks to those who serve or have served their country in uniform, whether at home or in distant lands across the sea.

In an ideal world there would be no war, no need for tanks, for ships, for planes, or for young men and women who put their lives on the line to defend the freedom all of us in this great land enjoy. But, alas, this world is not, never has been and very likely never will be such a world.

Through World War II, America always honored its servicemen and women. The "greatest generation" of those who wore the uniform came home to the acclaim and rewards they so richly deserved.

The half century after World War II presents a mixed record. Though America had become the wealthiest nation in history, Vietnam War veterans, shamefully, were not treated with the same respect, and they did not enjoy the same level of benefits their fathers and grandfathers had. Nor, it must be said, have the men and women who served and serve in Iraq and Afghanistan. Only now, in an election year, are Congress and the administration talking about needed improvements in the G.I. Bill.

This Armed Forces Day, members of the Charleston Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, as in past years, will visit hospitalized veterans at the Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Administration Medical Center. The visit is being coordinated by Terry Joyce, The Post and Courier's former military affairs reporter, himself a veteran and a retired Air Force major.

This worthy endeavor will let participants say thanks for the service the hospitalized veterans have given, the sacrifices they have made and the examples they have set for those who came before — and will come after.