Memorial Day weekend is the traditional holiday that marks the arrival of summer. It also is one of the two official U.S holidays recognizing the commitment of members of America's military services, with those being Veterans Day, and Memorial Day.
Memorial Day became an official holiday in 1971, and it honors those who lost their lives while defending their country. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades.
Many people will devote some attention to military veterans also over some of the next few days, and possibly specifically on the actual holiday, on Monday, May 27.
The path that people take to join a military branch, how long they serve, and how and why they exit to become military veterans is wide ranging, varying from person to person. Some were drafted out of their control during the Vietnam War era. Others volunteered for various reasons, from profound patriotism and the belief that they should support the U.S. military, while others might enter a branch to help pay for college.
Once no longer serving, veterans have lots of opinions about the time they spent in the military, on what they did, and what they achieved or didn’t achieve.
In a discussion on all these topics, this episode of What’s The Frequency brings together three guests, Loni Kuhlmann, who is the executive director of the Woodbury County Commission of Veteran Affairs, Leon Koster, a retired teacher who is a military veteran who served in Vietnam, and Mike Newhouse, an Air Force Veteran and the President of the board of directors of the notable Siouxland Freedom Park, in South Sioux City.
The three veterans also discuss the time that follows serving in the military branches, including benefits they are to receive, such as health care, education opportunities, and pensions. There can be glitches in receiving those items, and Kuhlmann leads an agency that can help.
Click on the audio link above to hear the entire show.
*What's The Frequency, Episode 18
