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What does it mean to become a military veteran?
To soldier means you have chosen to follow the ancient way of the warrior. You have shown your willingness to die for your society. More importantly, you are willing to kill to defend your family and community. You make tremendous physical, mental, moral, psychological, and spiritual sacrifices for the common good.
The United States was founded by veterans. When they wrote our basic law, they designed a system that made it difficult to go to war but insured the full force of our society behind any war effort. This, though our weakling nation was closely surrounded by enemies – the British, the Spanish, the native American tribes.
Implicit in this social contract was restitution for the sacrifices of the veteran. The officers of the Revolutionary Army formed the first American veterans society for just this purpose. The Society of the Cincinnati, in its establishing principles, stated, "In order to form funds that may ... assist the unfortunate, each officer will deliver to the treasurer ... one month's pay ... the interest only of which ... to be appropriated for the unfortunate members, or their widows and orphans ..."
These same officers became prominent in the new government; indeed, George Washington headed the Society as president general before, during, and after his presidency of the United States.
Revolutionary veterans applied to Congress for pensions, which were generally granted. Congress also granted land to veterans and their survivors.
This country, then, was founded upon the principle that a veteran deserved compensation.
George Dorner is a Vietnam veteran and Lake County resident. This is the first in a series of columns on American military issues from a veteran's point of view. E-mail Dorner at
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