By Guest Blogger Bill Lawson (U.S. Army Veteran), National President, Paralyzed Veterans of America
As we mark Memorial Day throughout the nation and at the battlefields across the world, the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice will be in our thoughts. Perhaps we will be remembering a son or daughter, a husband or wife, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters and other battle buddies who made the ultimate sacrifice.
As the “Ode of Remembrance” poignantly says, these heroes, "shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn."
Those who fought in the "War to End All Wars," World War I; the Greatest Generation of World War II; the heroes of the Vietnam, Korea and Gulf conflicts, and the latest generation of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan; all those who put themselves in harm’s way when their nation called — we will remember and honor them all.
They shed their blood for freedom. Their families live with these sacrifices. And too often we forget that freedom isn't free.
For those of us who served and live every day with our injuries, these selfless heroes will forever be our inspiration.
We honor their precious memory by fighting to expand the freedoms they held so dear and gave their lives for — the freedoms to ensure that America's paralyzed Veterans don't just live free, but live free with dignity, independence and empowerment.
Every day, we fight for quality VA health care and decent Veterans benefits. We promote wheelchair sports. We lead the charge to make America more accessible for all people with mobility impairments. We empower paralyzed Veterans with the tools they need to secure good careers, at a time when the unemployment rate for Veterans with severe disabilities is enormous. We invest in research to find new treatments and a cure for paralysis. We provide our services to all Veterans and their families free of charge.
But we must do more for those who have given so much. Through Paralyzed Veterans Mission: ABLE campaign, we aim to enlist all Americans — companies, citizens and communities — to help our paralyzed heroes fully live the lives they deserve and to receive what they need most: care, benefits and jobs.
A good example of why we are focusing our attention on these three areas is the issue of careers and jobs. The unemployment rate for Veterans with severe disabilities is 85 percent. Yet we know that with the right help, Veterans with disabilities can actively compete in the job market, bringing incredible skills and experience from their lives in the service. In turn, employers get great employees. Through Mission: ABLE (www.mission-able.com) we intend to make this grim statistic a thing of the past.
Through all of our work, we honor the memory of that band of brothers and sisters whose ultimate sacrifice we can never repay, whose memories will always be at the forefront of our effort to change lives and build a brighter future for all who served.
Bill Lawson (U.S. Army, Ret.) of Woodward, Oklahoma was elected National President of Paralyzed Veterans of America at its 64th Annual Convention in August. He is a staunch advocate for Veterans and people with disabilities.
As the grandson of a WWII disabled american vet, we like to give back. We own a photography studio in Indianapolis, Indiana and every year we give away free sessions and senior picture packages to the children of disabled American vets. It’s about $700 in free work we donate and we don’t push any upsell or accept payment, it is truly a gift so the parents don’t have to pay for senior pictures. Many are too proud to contact us so we look for referrals for our vet angel pics program. Feel free to contact us with some a name for us to donate our services to.
http://www.avonpicturethis.com/seniorpictures.html
Scott
Dear Disabled Veterans who fought for the great and God Blessed U.S.A – thank you for your deeds that hurt you by saving the rest of us. I know what it is like to be disabled and not allowed to work or collect money from my previous job. I live off of Social Security Disability payments. I still manage to pay two rents. One for the apartment I live in and one for a rental unit. I couldn’t afford to stay on our beautiful 10 acres of land and a Dome home my husband and I built with some help from friend and relatives. Thank God for a large family!! I still manage to give to the Veterans and Paralyzed Veterans. My brother is a veteran from the Vietnam war and I help him out as much as I can. My sister takes me to his house and we help him out in many ways. In any way I can help, I will give to any vet organizations and wish and pray for you and the entire United States.
Dear Disabled Veterans who fought for the great and God Blessed U.S.A – thank you for your deeds that hurt you by saving the rest of us. I know what it is like to be disabled and not allowed to work or collect money from my previous job. I live off of Social Security Disability payments. I still manage to pay two rents. One for the apartment I live in and one for a rental unit. I couldn’t afford to stay on our beautiful 10 acres of land and a Dome home my husband and I built with some help from friend and relatives. Thank God for a large family!! I still manage to give to the Veterans and Paralyzed Veterans. My brother is a veteran from the Vietnam war and I help him out as much as I can. My sister takes me to his house and we help him out in many ways. In any way I can help, I will give to any vet organizations and wish and pray for you and the entire United States.
Dear Disabled Veterans who fought for the great and God Blessed U.S.A – thank you for your deeds that hurt you by saving the rest of us. I know what it is like to be disabled and not allowed to work or collect money from my previous job. I live off of Social Security Disability payments. I still manage to pay two rents. One for the apartment I live in and one for a rental unit. I couldn’t afford to stay on our beautiful 10 acres of land and a Dome home my husband and I built with some help from friend and relatives. Thank God for a large family!! I still manage to give to the Veterans and Paralyzed Veterans. My brother is a veteran from the Vietnam war and I help him out as much as I can. My sister takes me to his house and we help him out in many ways. In any way I can help, I will give to any vet organizations and wish and pray for you and the entire United States.
Dear Disabled Veterans who fought for the great and God Blessed U.S.A – thank you for your deeds that hurt you by saving the rest of us. I know what it is like to be disabled and not allowed to work or collect money from my previous job. I live off of Social Security Disability payments. I still manage to pay two rents. One for the apartment I live in and one for a rental unit. I couldn’t afford to stay on our beautiful 10 acres of land and a Dome home my husband and I built with some help from friend and relatives. Thank God for a large family!! I still manage to give to the Veterans and Paralyzed Veterans. My brother is a veteran from the Vietnam war and I help him out as much as I can. My sister takes me to his house and we help him out in many ways. In any way I can help, I will give to any vet organizations and wish and pray for you and the entire United States.
Dear Disabled Veterans who fought for the great and God Blessed U.S.A – thank you for your deeds that hurt you by saving the rest of us. I know what it is like to be disabled and not allowed to work or collect money from my previous job. I live off of Social Security Disability payments. I still manage to pay two rents. One for the apartment I live in and one for a rental unit. I couldn’t afford to stay on our beautiful 10 acres of land and a Dome home my husband and I built with some help from friend and relatives. Thank God for a large family!! I still manage to give to the Veterans and Paralyzed Veterans. My brother is a veteran from the Vietnam war and I help him out as much as I can. My sister takes me to his house and we help him out in many ways. In any way I can help, I will give to any vet organizations and wish and pray for you and the entire United States.
God bless every brave man and woman!
GOD BLESS SO MUCH THIS DAY, MEMORIAL DAY.
Excellent post. Our brave men and women who fought to defend our country deserve more support and services, especially when they acquire a disability from serving their country. It was wonderful to read about the work of Mission Able, and it’s role in assisting veterans with disabilities.