Paying tribute to veterans

It is important to remember the post-9/11 veterans currently make-up about 20% of the U.S. veteran population. Thousands of young adults took the precious oath while the military was engaged in active conflict and military operations in the Middle East, fighting a complicated war, knowing that a combat zone deployment was inevitable (in fact three-quarters of post-9/11 veterans deployed at least once).

Their service was not compulsory. They were not drafted. Instead, they were brave volunteers. Three million veterans served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many have come back with scars, physical and mental, but they are not victims. They are brave warriors who deserve our respect and thanks. I have watched them serve with pride, make sacrifices and never complain. These (mostly) millennials often seem to have their service overlooked by our society, finding adjustment back to civilian life to be difficult and feeling disconnected from family and friends who cannot relate to their service and sacrifices. We owe these warriors the respect and gratitude they earned and we have a responsibility to honor their volunteer service.

The nation truly is the land of the free because of the brave. Unfortunately, we are losing our precious World War II veterans daily. Our Korean War veterans, and their valor in the harshest of environments, are often overshadowed. Sadly, our Vietnam veterans were often treated poorly as they returned home from a brutal and unpopular war.

As I reflect on the service of our youngest generations, I am honored to call them my brothers and sisters. Recruiting is at an all-time low. As we watch events unfold in eastern Europe and terror attacks on the Jewish population, both reminiscent of the darker days of the 1940s, we must remember the importance of the American military to prevent genocide and to protect democracy. Military service should still be respected and revered.

In the Bay Area, with high home prices and great wealth, our community is disconnected from those who volunteered for military service. Sadly, I am often the only Marine my friends know. Yet, San Mateo County has been served by Marine heroes, notably Pete McCloskey, George Shultz and Jon Keker. We have Marine reserve units in San Bruno, San Jose, the East Bay and in Sacramento. I have witnessed firsthand the sacrifices these young men and women have made.

Regardless of one’s politics or opinions regarding conflict, on this Veterans Day, please make a point to thank and express gratitude to the nations’ future leaders, our post-9/11 veterans. America only requires its citizens to pay taxes and serve on juries; even military service is not mandatory. Today is an appropriate day to forget about politics and find a way to engage with veterans to form a more cohesive and unified nation, upholding the ideals of an experiment our Founding Fathers so bravely created.

I encourage you to enjoy the day off from work, to enjoy the freedom we still hold dearly and to thank a veteran for their service. The Hoover Institution is hosting a town hall Dec. 14 at the Elks’ Lodge in San Mateo focusing on the post-9/11 veterans and our continued dedication to public service. I invite our entire community to participate in this important discussion on how we can continue to support our post-9/11 veterans, where I am honored to be a panelist. Please register at hoover.org/events. This will be a great opportunity to discuss the contributions our post-9/11 veterans have made to our community.

And to all our veterans … thank you. I appreciate you.

Michael Wendler is a Superior Court judge in San Mateo County and still serves in the Marine Corps Reserves as a colonel and has been slated to be the deputy commanding general of 4th Marine Logistics Group out of New Orleans.