Why I Don't "Owe" My Veterans

I am about to rattle a few cages here, especially if you are a disabled veteran, and most especially if you are a veteran receiving public benefits. I understand that you have done your duty, and may whatever power you hold most sacred bless you to the utmost for that.

But I would like you to rethink some things if you think you are "owed" your benefits for what you have done, and I will illustrate the reasons why with the story of my own great-grandfather, Ted.

Ted's parents were German immigrants to the United States of America during the height of the industrial boom, which was the late 1800s to early 1900s. They had a good life, and a little store, and all was fairly alright.

Enter World War One.

Their son was enlisted in the US forces and went overseas to fight. Ted fought his father's ex-countrymen. And he fought well. That didn't stop a bombshell from blowing his foot off while he was in action.

Ted came back to the States, minus a foot. He was directed to a workshop for other WWI veterans that had become "disabled" like him. The workshop taught him how to make paper flowers to sell to the public on the corner so that he could still have an income. Essentially, teaching veterans how to live of the public pity dollars. No different than getting the public assistance pity dollars that most disabled vets live off of today. (Spade a spade, like it or don't.)

You know what he said to that?

SCREW THIS! It was my FOOT that got blown off, not my HEAD!

Ted did not get public assistance (didn't exist yet) or public charity or public pity. He used the gray matter between his ears to make his living after that. He moved westward and got into film. Hollywood was a burgeoning industry at the time, and silent films were the cinematic artform of the day. He directed movies, worked with Harold Lloyd, met his beautiful Irish wife and had a gorgeous daughter to whom he gave a middle name in honor of his best friend, George Herman Ruth, Jr. (otherwise known as Babe Ruth), who became her godfather. My dad (Ted's grandson) still has the silver baseball from his mother's christening engraved with the man's autograph.

Ted helped shape the budding Hollywood, and was at the first Oscars with his wife. I have seen the copy of the picture of it, which my dad has, and he pointed out my great-grandparents to me, smiling brilliantly.

Not once did Ted consider himself "disabled" or think that the citizens of this country "owed" him for his service. He fought and served because it was his DUTY, not a DEBT to be incurred by the people that he was protecting. Such a thing is no better than hiring and compensating a paid bodyguard, really.

He used his wits to keep on going, keep living, and make his mark on the world, without the public dole - or what would have equated to the public dole at the time. Without a foot, mind you.

Please think of the course that my great-grandfather took, before you say or think that you are "owed" something for a DUTY that you damn well knew the ramifications of before you even took up arms.

And if you're wondering where the fortune of my great-grandfather went, and why his great-granddaughter has had to make due and thrive in such a hard life as she has, then allow me to illustrate succinctly what happened for you.

Have you ever seen Rocky V?

Very close to that.

And this was before his daughter was married to my grandfather, by the way. She married a war vet, too, like her mom did. He didn't get anything blown off though, thank heavens.

This post is not meant to disparage our honored war veterans, but to ENCOURAGE and INSPIRE them by putting things in perspective.

In order to restore the constitution that you swore an oath to uphold, protect, and defend, we have to actually adhere to it. As explained in Davy Crockett vs Welfare, there is no Constitutional authority, to use public funds for charity of any kind. http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig4/ellis1.html

Thank you for your bravery.