Around 200,000 people leave the military each year. That means 200,000 veterans must make the difficult transition back to civilian life every year. Unfortunately, that transition is often incredibly difficult and daunting. Normalcy can be jarring after the horrors of war.
The hardships veterans face during these transitions have been linked to long-term mental health challenges. Battling mental health makes what is already difficult that much more complicated.
That’s especially true because civilians do not fully comprehend all the sacrifices made by service members and their families. I recently heard a story that profoundly exemplified this reality.
In August, 2013, Sergeant Michael Ollis and his comrades were stationed at a Forward Operating Base in Afghanistan. On an otherwise calm day, a car bomb breached the perimeter of the base, clearing the way for 10 suicide vest-wearing terrorists armed with automatic weapons.
Covered by mortar fire, they swept through the area, opening fire and wreaking havoc. The stationed soldiers fell back to the base’s bunker. Sgt. Ollis courageously put others ahead of himself and refused to get himself to safety until his 40 comrades were inside.
As the last of them were rushing inside, Ollis noticed something: A downed officer, Lt. Karol Cierpica, a soldier in the Polish army who had been helping the Americans fight the war on terror.
Without body armour, helmet, or coverfire, Ollis rushed toward Cierpica, who was alive but unable to walk due to wounds in both legs. Lt. Cierpica was defenseless and, at that moment, a suicide bomber appeared from behind a storage container.
Based on multiple accounts, Sgt. Ollis rushed forward and heroically stopped the terrorist, shielding Cierpica and taking the full force of the suicide-bomb explosion. Cierpica was saved, but Ollis did not survive.
The news of Michael’s fate devastated Sgt. Ollis’s parents, Robert and Linda, but they vowed to preserve their son’s legacy. And one sign his legacy would endure arrived just a month later, when Lt. Cierpica's wife gave birth to a baby boy, whom they named Michael to honor the American who had saved his life.
This is the reality of life on the front lines and it clearly shows why transitioning back to civilian life can be difficult, especially when the reception for veterans coming home is often less than welcoming.
That presents a challenge to all of us: How are we going to be different? How are we going to show those who have sacrificed for this country that they matter and deserve honor and respect? How can we support the families who are left behind by the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice?
That’s the heart behind the upcoming Day of Gratitude at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. It’s an invitation for people across the country to come together to give our service members the recognition and celebration they so deeply deserve.
The entire day – presented by CityServe, Voice of the Veteran, Love Has No Limits, and a host of other corporate partners and non-profits – is dedicated to serving all those who have sacrificed immensely for the peaceful lives we enjoy. This year, the event is fittingly scheduled for June 6th, the anniversary of D-Day.
We celebrate our military heroes at ball games, commercial airlines let them board early, and many companies offer a 10 percent discount to those who’ve worn the uniform. That’s a good start. But we need to take our gratitude even further. We need to help meet their needs more frequently, and we need to recognize them more frequently.
Recognition is exactly what the Ollises have been looking for since Michael’s heroic death. And they are finally set to get just that. When President Trump called their home, he said the words they had been longing to hear. Michael would receive the highest honor possible: the Congressional Medal of Honor.
This is the proper response to such sacrifice and heroism. On June 6th, we all have the chance to give the same kind of honor to veterans and service members everywhere. Their lives deserve nothing less.
Wendell Vinson is the co-founder of CityServe International, a church empowerment network that provides basic essentials and disaster relief to communities in need throughout the United States and around the world.