Remembering: Fayetteville woman's project one part of how we could say 'thank you'

For every hero or heroine we honor and for every active duty member of the military we thank, there are hundreds of others who leave the service and have nowhere to go and face struggles to rebuild their lives.

It is easy to cheer when a unit deploys or to shed a tear when loved ones are reunited. It is another thing entirely to make sure these men and women who serve are treated with honor and respect when they have finished their tours of duty.

The woman who was honored in the Fayetteville "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" build is doing her part for just a few of the many homeless veterans who are trying to start over around the country.

And it is our duty as a nation to make sure that the resources are in place to help them get the start they need to create new lives.

In an economy like this one, finding a new job is an uphill battle -- especially when you have limited experience (or sometimes even very focused, technical skills). And the transition for some of these servicemen and women is not easy either -- sometimes because of battlefield trauma and sometimes because civilian life is so different from that in the military.

It is our duty to help them make that shift.

Americans are proud of their country and their military men and women. The vast majority of us want to make sure our veterans are taken care of and honored.

All that we need to do now is remember to make sure it happens.

Published in Editorials on July 22, 2011 10:42 AM