Thank a Veteran

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month back in 1918, an agreement was reached to suspend hostilities in World War I which was called at the time, “The War to End all Wars”. As we all know, it was not the war to end all wars, as millions of brave American men and women have served to defend our freedom in the decades since then. November 11 was celebrated as Armistice Day until 1954 when the name was changed to Veteran’s Day. It is a day to honor our veterans and thank them for all they have done to preserve and defend the American way of life. In so many ways our freedoms are being eroded from within and many people do not treasure the freedoms which remain. If you are a veteran, I and my family thank you for your service from the bottom of our heart. Please take some time this month and throughout the year to thank a veteran for their service.
I am taking this detour from my usual topic because I believe it is critical to our country that we remember where we have come from and thank those who have helped us to defend freedom. In my work I have the privilege of performing home modifications for veterans to help them get around in their homes more easily. I am always struck by the strength and stability of these veterans. Although many of them returned from war with grievous injuries, most of them do not expect or want any attention for themselves. They believe they were just doing their job. Particularly among veterans of World War II, there is a common belief that everyone just did what was necessary to save our country. We could sure use some of that kind of thinking today!
There are around 23 million veterans living in the United States and over 9 million of them are over 65. Along with the population at large, these veterans are aging and facing the challenges associated with growing older. Let’s all look for ways to make these veteran’s lives a little easier. Just taking the time to thank them for their service and let them know that some of us really appreciate all they have done really makes their day! If you are a veteran and need help paying for needed home modifications there are a number of grants available to offset the cost of these modifications. They include the Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant, the Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) grant, and the Granting Freedom grant. While the bulk of these grants are available to veterans who need modifications due to service connected disabilities, there are some programs available for all veterans. Any amounts not covered by these grants may also be eligible for the Livable Homes Tax Credit which I have written about in Housing Matters in the past. To learn more about these programs please feel free to give me a call at (540) 384-2064. Once again I would like to thank all those who have served our country and defended our freedoms. God bless you!