VETERAN’S DAY AND WHAT IT MEANS TO SERVE THOSE WHO SERVED US

A Column from the Desk of Assemblyman Karl Brabenec (R,C-Deerpark)

As many readers and friends of mine know, I have a great deal of affinity for the men and women of our nation’s armed forces. My father was even a Navy veteran before he began his career as an NYPD officer, so I know the lifestyle that our soldiers, sailors, pilots and more go through to keep our country and the world at large as safe as can be. This past Monday, many businesses and offices were closed in honor of Veterans Day, but while I think giving people an extra day off from work can be helpful, it’s important to remember why we have the day off to begin with and how we as a nation can better serve our veterans like they deserve. If you didn’t know, Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day, a day of recognition that many western nations in Europe also adopted to recognize the sacrifice and service of the men deployed to World War I. Major hostilities for the war concluded on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. It would be changed to Veterans Day following the conclusion of World War II, at the request of military leadership, to ensure the day recognized all veterans of the past, present and future rather than just those who served in the Great War. But even though we show this reverence and recognition for our veterans with our words, many returning home from service find themselves in need of desperate help. In government, I have sponsored and signed multiple proposals that would offer relief to our state’s veterans. From offering tax credits to providing them assistance for civil service examinations for new employment opportunities to expanding opportunities for disabled veterans returning home, our state is pursuing many proposals that seek to give back the time, effort and energy that those same veterans gave to us when defending our nation. National organizations are helping ease burdens as well, from providing veterans in need with affordable housing to job training and connections, veteran care seems to be improving universally. But it’s not enough to say we’re doing a good job now. We must continue to push, continue to deliver. Too many times, New Yorkers have stood up for us all, and we haven’t been able to do the same for them. Our veterans are relying on our support once they come home, and they deserve it. I’ll continue to fight for them every day I serve in office. Assemblyman Brabenec represents the 98th District, which includes the city of Port Jervis, the towns of Deerpark, Greenville, Mount Hope, Wawayanda, Minisink, Warwick, Tuxedo and portions of the towns of Goshen, Monroe and Ramapo. For more information, please visit his Official Website at www.yourfavoriteassemblyman.com.