November 8, 2007

1.      A Brief History of Veterans Day!

2.  What about OSU’s Office for Veterans Affairs?

3.  When and Where is the Columbus 2007 Veterans Day Parade?

4.  Gov. Strickland signed an Executive Order Regarding Veterans Study Council!

5.  A Message from Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Day 2007!

6.  Information about Returning Veteran Students!

7.  Did You Know This?

 

1. A Brief History of Veterans Day

Veterans Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to honor the end of World War I, which officially took place on November 11, 1918. In legislature that was passed in 1938, November 11 was "dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day.'" As such, this new legal holiday honored World War I veterans.

 

In 1954, after having been through both World War II and the Korean War, the 83rd U.S. Congress -- at the urging of the veterans service organizations -- amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, Nov. 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

 

In 1968, the Uniforms Holiday Bill ensured three-day weekends for federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. Under this bill, Veterans Day was moved to the last Monday of October. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holiday on its original date. The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on Oct. 25, 1971.

 

Finally on September 20, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed a law which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of Nov. 11, beginning in 1978. Since then, the Veterans Day holiday has been observed on Nov. 11.     (cont’d)

Celebrating the Veterans Day Holiday

If the Nov. 11 holiday falls on a non-workday — Saturday or Sunday — the holiday is observed by the federal government on Monday (if the holiday falls on Sunday) or Friday (if the holiday falls on Saturday). Federal government closings are established by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management — a complete schedule can be found here. State and local government closings are determined locally, and non- government businesses can close or remain open as they see fit, regardless of federal, state or local government operation determinations.

 

United States Senate Resolution 143, which was passed on Aug. 4, 2001, designated the week of Nov.11 through Nov. 17, 2001, as "National Veterans Awareness Week." The resolution calls for educational efforts directed at elementary and secondary school students concerning the contributions and sacrifices of veterans.

The difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day

Memorial Day honors service members who died in service to their country or as a result of injuries incurred during battle. Deceased veterans are also remembered on Veterans Day but the day is set aside to thank and honor living veterans who served honorably in the military - in wartime or peacetime.

President Eisenhower’s letter to Harvey V. Higley, Administrator of Veterans' Affairs, designating him Chairman, Veterans Day National Committee:


The White House Office
October 8, 1954

Dear Mr. Higley:

I have today signed a proclamation calling upon all of our citizens to observe Thursday, November 11, 1954 as Veterans Day. It is my earnest hope that all veterans, their organizations, and the entire citizenry will join hands to insure proper and widespread observance of this day. With the thought that it will be most helpful to coordinate the planning, I am suggesting the formation of a Veterans Day National Committee. In view of your great personal interest as well as your official responsibilities, I have designated you to serve as Chairman. You may include in the Committee membership such other persons as you desire to select and I am requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch to assist the Committee in its work in every way possible.

I have every confidence that our Nation will respond wholeheartedly in the appropriate observance of Veterans Day, 1954.

Sincerely,    DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

 

SOURCE: http://www.military.com/veteransday

 

 

2.  What about OSU’s Office for Veterans Affairs?

Veterans Affairs

In order to provide quality human resource services to faculty and staff, the Office of Human Resources supports our nation's veterans with goals to provide affirmative action assistance to covered veterans; to provide employee relations support to all faculty and staff veterans; to provide enrollment certification for student veterans participating in the GI Bill program; to serve as a focal point for all campus veteran activities; and to foster a positive campus and community atmosphere. For more information visit: http://hr.osu.edu/vet/ or contact:

 

Michael Forrest                                                 Gina Lee
For Faculty and Staff Issues                               For Student Veteran Financial Aid/GI Bill
Phone: (614) 292-7047                                       Phone: (614) 292-3453
E-mail: forrest.73@osu.edu                                E-mail: glee@hr.osu.edu

 

 

3.  When and Where is the Columbus 2007 Veterans Day Parade?

The 2007 Veterans Day Parade will be held in downtown Columbus, Ohio on Friday, November 9th at noon.  

The parade will start at Nationwide Plaza (North High Street) and will march south on High Street to Main Street. http://www.milvets.org/vetparade.htm.

 

If you are unable to attend, on Sunday November 11th,   there will be another parade at the VA Hospital Grounds, Chillicothe, OH  beginning at 10:00 AM

  

 

 

4.  Gov. Strickland signed an Executive Order Regarding Veterans Study Council!

Governor Strickland signed an Executive Order (Executive Order 2007-11S)on the 30th of May, 2007 establishing a Study Council to Provide Recommendations Regarding the Creation of the Ohio Department of Veterans Affairs. Please see the below links for more information on the upcoming meetings. The Executive Order includes a list of the participating organizations and groups. The meetings are open to the public.

Click here for info:  Executive Order Meeting Announcement

Click here for info:      Meeting Dates and Times

 For more information, visit: http://veteransaffairs.ohio.gov/

 

 

5.  A Message from Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Day 2007!

On this Veterans Day 2007, we come together as a Nation to thank our veterans for their service and to let them know that their service and sacrifices will never be taken for granted.

 

Americans are blessed to live in a Nation of democracy and freedom. For these blessings we thank our veterans.  Here and in communities across this great country, we honor veterans for protecting and securing democracy and freedom throughout our history.

 

Our veterans are everyday men and women we know as friends, neighbors, relatives, and colleagues who have served our Nation in extraordinary ways.  They have preserved and strengthened our country and made sacrifices beyond duty’s call.  Even as we honor them this Veterans Day, their successors are courageously defending our freedoms at home and abroad. Veterans and their families are truly among our finest citizens.

 

At the Department of Veterans Affairs, we are proud to fulfill the solemn pledge of President Abraham Lincoln who, during his second inaugural address on March 4, 1865, set forth our obligation to care for those injured in body and spirit in their defense of our Nation and for the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The VA and the over quarter million men and women serving in it give daily endorsement of President Lincoln’s commitment, and do so in a spirit of compassion, respect, sensitivity and gratitude.  Let us today, therefore, remember Lincoln’s charge to us:

“With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan – to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.”                                                                            

                                                                                     <<Signed>>

                                                                                     Gordon H. Mansfield

For more information about the US Department of Veterans Affairs, please visit: http://www.va.gov/

 

 

6.  Information about Returning Veteran Students

It is anticipated that there will be a gradual increase in the number of veterans returning from combat services in Iraq and Afghanistan who will be using their veteran’s education benefits and enrolling at colleges and universities. Studies by the U.S. Army Mental Health Advisory Team and by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs suggest that a growing percent of these soldiers will meet medical symptom criteria for acute war zone stress reactions, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and social adjustment problems. Other estimates suggest that an even greater percentage of returning soldiers will suffer from these stress reactions. Many of these soldiers are from National Guard and Reserve units and therefore are anxious to separate from the military to return to school and civilian life. Discovery of a medical problem or psychological disorder during one of the many exit examinations all military members must complete frequently results in a hold on dismissal from service. As a result, those who begin to experience symptoms while still in the military frequently avoid seeking help prior to their separation.

Adjustment Issues

Many of these veterans will be returning from an extended period of exposure to severe emotional or mental trauma, physical trauma, hypervigilance, and highly stressful working and living conditions. As they return to school, some may experience difficulty and frustration adjusting to the stress and demands of university life. Many may experience emotional and cognitive impairments that interfere with their ability to concentrate and perform academically. They may also experience family or interpersonal problems that affect social functioning. The added stress of social and interpersonal problems can also negatively affect academic functioning. They may communicate to you about their distress through direct conversation, in-class comments, or in written comments in their course assignments or e-mails.

Classroom Discussions

Some returning veterans may be highly sensitive to political and other discussions about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Studies have noted that some recent combat veteran students have reported feeling silenced and disenfranchised by political class discussions in which comments tilted in one political direction are made by students and professors whom they believe lack accurate information.

Class discussions regarding important political and social issues should not be suppressed. In issues related to these wars, combat veteran students should be given the opportunity to share their views and opinions based upon their experiences. Also, in discussions about the wars, it is important to include distinctions between political decisions made by government leaders and the experiences and efforts of combat soldiers.

Services for Returning Veteran Students

If you become aware of students who have recently returned from combat service and are having some difficulty adjusting to school, there are campus and local services available to assist them. Offices such as OSU’s Office of Veterans Affairs, OSU’s Counseling and Consultation Services, and OSU’s Office for Disability Services are available to consult with you on how to refer a student who may need guidance and assistance. Our role will primarily be to provide them personal support and to help connect them with the appropriate services and resources to facilitate their adjustment to the demands of school. For those veterans who are experiencing more acute PTSD and war zone stress reactions, or have more intense treatment needs, the primary role will be to help connect them with medical and psychological treatment services through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

(Source: the Univ. of Texas’ Counseling and Mental Health Clinic)

 

 

7.  Did You Know This?

The Ohio State University has planned a military flyover at the Illinois game on November 10 in recognition of Veterans Day. This will be the first military flyover since the 2002 Michigan game.