Paul Sullivan served our country in the Army, and our veterans in his stint at VA and as founder of the indispensable "Veterans for Common Sense," responsible for many of the advances veterans appreciate today, including the passage of a new law expanding healthcare and disability benefits for Gulf War veterans -– a law that now extends to Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.
Here he is in an essay from 10 years ago, still relevant today, about what Veterans Day really means. Reprinted with permission.
A Better Way: A Gulf War Veteran Reflects on the Original Meaning of Veterans Day
by Paul Sullivan
A Gulf War memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.Ten years ago I served in the Gulf War. Since my return, I’ve had the honor of attending the poignant Veterans Day ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery.
This solemn day represents a special responsibility and rare opportunity to share with the young people of the world that they are in the enviable position of being able to learn about war and to chart the course of history toward peace far more than they may realize.
In short, empower yourselves. Register and vote. Do not turn away from difficult choices. Do not be satisfied with the status quo. Ask the tough questions leading to a better way to resolve conflict.
Raising Questions is Crucial
Unlike the tidy endings of quickly forgotten 100-minute war movies shown on Veterans Day, the jagged and bitter memories and injuries of real wars last an eternity. This is because warfare cannot be truly captured by Hollywood, where, sadly, the industry often turns warfare into entertainment, glorifying the deaths of innocents.
But there are exceptions. For an unvarnished film about war, consider viewing All Quiet on the Western Front, released in 1930. The film raised such serious questions about World War I that many nations banned it during the buildup for World War II.
The opening 20 minutes of the 1998 film Saving Private Ryan have striking similarities to the trench warfare scenes in the 1930 classic. For a taste of veterans’ post-combat emotions, watch the exceptionally inspiring Oscar-winning film, The Best Years of Our Lives.
View these three films with friends, family, classmates, and church members, not for entertainment, but to ask questions about how the characters and themes relate to Veterans Day and current events.
These films bluntly convey the reality of war. They point to the need for world peace on our small and fragile world. And world peace was the intention behind Armistice Day, the original name for Veterans Day.
What is Veterans Day?
In 1926, in the aftermath of World War I, Congress called for a national day of peaceful reflection to be held on November 11th. In 1938, November 11th was declared a holiday. As World War II loomed on the horizon, it became "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day.’"
In 1958, after World War II, the name was changed to "Veterans Day." In 1978, the official meaning was changed to "a celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good."
Honoring and recognizing veterans is important. Yet what happened to Armistice Day – celebrating peace and having friendly relations – especially today, as the Gulf War continues to rage?
What is the Gulf War?
The Gulf War began August 2, 1990, and the bloodshed continues today. There is no armistice or peace treaty ending the Gulf War. Last year alone the US staged more than 1,000 air missions against Iraq. The President and the press never seem to get it right, either. President Clinton, for instance, misspoke when he declared, "America is not at war." (Washington Post, October 15, 2000)
Two laws allow Gulf War killing to continue. The first law "constitutes [a] specific statutory authorization for the use of U.S. armed forces required under the War Powers Resolution." Under it, President Bush authorized the Gulf War on January 14, 1991. This law requires the President to report to Congress every 60 days on the status of efforts to obtain compliance by Iraq with several United Nations resolutions. Congress voted to enter into war on January 12, 1991.
Under the second law, on March 21, 1991, Congress voted to start the Gulf War retroactively on August 2, 1990, the date Iraq invaded Kuwait. President Bush signed this law on April 6, 1991. It also "requires certain reports on costs associated with the Persian Gulf War."
Who will end the Gulf War and when? Where are the reports required every 60 days under the War Powers Resolution? Where are the reports regarding the costs, especially the enormous toll of human deaths and casualties?
What is the Gulf War Casualty Count?
Contrary to the sanitized videos produced by the military and shown on television, the Gulf War was not "smart" bombs striking empty buildings with pinpoint accuracy.
The tragic truth, ignored by the press, reveals that hundreds of thousands of people died, and many more die each day. For the US, deaths during Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991 were more than 300. Others were killed in the region in the bombing of US barracks in Saudi Arabia in 1996 (19 killed) and the attack on the USS Cole last month (17 killed). For Iraq, 100,000 died between January 17, 1991, and February 28, 1991. In simple terms, the US casualty rate was about 1 per day. The Iraqi casualty rate was about 2,400 per day or 100 per hour.
The war continues through the use of economic and military sanctions which do not allow Iraq to rebuild its devastated infrastructure or to meet the human needs of its people. By 1999, the death toll in Iraq exceeded one million in a country of 20 million, about five percent of the population. If five percent of the US population died, deaths would exceed 14 million, more than all of the people living in the state of Pennsylvania.
Calling the Gulf War by improper names such as "sanctions," "embargo," "blockade," or "no fly zones" is terribly misleading. The Gulf War is death and destruction, period.
We Must Find A Better Way
War doesn’t magically end when the President says, "America is not at war," or when uninformed journalists don’t check the facts or the law. Sadly, the casualty count climbs as the Gulf War continues with little public debate.
Have we lost the meaning of November 11th? Veterans Day, or Armistice Day as it once was called, should be a day to recognize and honor veterans. As a war veteran, I believe the original intent of Armistice Day should be recognized as well. Peace is not a want; peace is desperately needed for the survival of the human race.
My surviving the Gulf War means I have the opportunity to learn from the past and a responsibility to share those lessons with the next generation.
I pray we find a better way to secure peace and freedom as well as avoid war. That’s what I’d like to see this Veterans Day.
Postscript: Paul Sullivan writes, "The statistics used in this essay are from 1999. The situation has grown much worse for veterans. As of 2010, after more than 20 years of war in Southwest Asia, VA has treated a combined total of one million new veteran patients from the Gulf War, Afghanistan War, and Iraq War. VA reports uncovered by Veterans for Common Sense using the Freedom of Information Act reveal that 10,000 new, first-time Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans are treated by VA hospitals and clinics each month."
About the Author
Paul Sullivan served as a Cavalry Scout in the Army’s 1st Armored Division during the invasion of Iraq and Kuwait in 1991.
Editor's note: For more information about Paul's work at Veterans for Common Sense, click here. For information on his "Veterans Bill of Rights" initiative, intended to fix problems with VA, click here. You can also find Veterans for Common Sense on Facebook, linked here.
