Veterans deserve better than they get
Today, my flag goes to half staff for two brave young men who lost their lives while in service to our country -- Army Sgt. Joe Vanek, 22 of Elmhurst, who attended York High School, from which my veteran husband graduated, and Marine Cpl. Joseph E. Stevenson II, 20, of Downers Grove, whose mature, deep letter to his family is something I always will keep.
It is my personal tradition to lower my flag for 24 hours each time I hear of a veteran's death.
If either of these two young men had returned safely from service and wanted to show their pride by buying veterans license plates, they would have been charged an extra fee to do so.
Every year, when my husband's license plates come due, I try to persuade him to get veterans plates. Every year I get the same answer: "This country ran roughshod over the Vietnam veterans, and continues to forget former soldiers of all wars when they return home.
Why on earth would I pay it extra money for veterans plates?"
He has a point. This extra fee needs to be removed or the plates made free to all veterans.
On Veterans Day, ceremonies were performed in honor of soldiers such as these. My husband didn't attend because he was at work.
I believe it should be federal law that all veterans are given this day off with pay as a thank you for what they did.
Actually, I'd prefer to see any ceremonies on the Sunday before Veterans Day and a paid day off for only veterans on the actual Veterans Day.
The successes of our veterans are too often buried in the back pages of our newspapers.
The successes in our wars aren't successes just for some political party or president -- they are direct successes for our soldiers that should be front-page news.
When a paper announces only the failures, especially for direct political benefit of those running for office against the current administration, on the front page, they are also announcing that our soldiers "failed" at something.
How many of you would feel like putting your life on the line if that was your thank you?
I don't care that many of the papers I read are considered local. Somehow, Hillary Clinton makes it to the front page while our soldiers don't.
My heart goes out to the families who have just lost their sons.
Please know that there are those of us out here who honor them.
Paula Coughlan
Elburn