24 Hoosier Banker November 2015 HONORING VETERANS – A VETERAN’S VIEWPOINT About the Author David A. Bochnowski is chairman and chief executive officer of Peoples Bank, Munster. He joined the bank in 1977, and was named CEO in 1981 and chairman in 1995. Bochnowski is past chairman of America’s Community Bankers (now American Bankers Association), of the Indiana League of Savings Institutions (now Indiana Bankers Association) and of the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions. Additionally he is a former director of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis and a former member of the Federal Reserve Thrift Institutions Advisory Committee. He earned bachelor’s and JD degrees from Georgetown University and a master’s degree from Howard University. Bochnowski served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army in Vietnam, 197071, and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service in that conflict. The author can be reached at dbochnowski@ibankpeoples.com. Peoples Bank, Munster, is a member of the Indiana Bankers Association. How to Thank a Vet In years gone by, on Nov. 11 America paused to pay tribute to those lost in World War I on Armistice Day. Now, on that date, America specially remembers our veterans, although it is not unusual for vets to be greeted with “Welcome home” or “Thank you for your service” throughout the year. For those of us who are veterans, those words are deeply appreciated, although we continue to be puzzled by our nation’s collective inability to solve the challenges many veterans face after their service has concluded. Veteran homelessness, lack of job training and inadequate health care are all-too-familiar stories in the news. My interest in veterans’ issues intensified in the latter part of May 2013, when a persistent backache resulted in a diagnosis of multiple myeloma, due to exposure to Agent Orange during my tour of duty in Vietnam. Multiple myeloma, a cancer of the red blood cells, attacks blood plasma and the ability to produce bone marrow. Through the power of modern medicine, the support of family and friends, and the grace of God, I am now cancer-free and in complete remission. Although the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) treats multiple myeloma, my coverage under the IBA Group Insurance Trust provided access to private care that included pharmaceutical, chemotherapy and radiation treatments, along with a stem cell transplant of my own stem cells. Needless to say, it came as quite a shock that, 43 years after responding to my country’s call to service, the VA confirmed that my illness is service connected, and I am a disabled veteran. My experience with the hardworking and caring women and men at the VA has been extremely positive, unlike the headlines and sound bites that make the news. To be sure, the VA has problems, and if we really want to thank our veterans, those issues need to be resolved. The VA’s technology is outdated. Hundreds of doctor and nurse positions are vacant, because salaries are not competitive. Many therapies for Agent Orange, Gulf War Syndrome and traumatic brain injuries are being developed by cutting-edge research hospitals, not by the VA, because the VA is underfunded. Significantly, the VA health care system has been overwhelmed by the sheer number of veterans who served in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. These veterans require medical attention, not to mention job training and placement, and housing for those unable to care for themselves. Let us resolve that America should not go to war unless shared sacrifice is assured for everyone, our troops and citizens alike. With the exception of Iraq and Afghanistan, in every war since the War of 1812, America raised taxes and even sold bonds in support of our courageous men and women in uniform. Today, however, we pass the cost to the next generation, and there is little congressional appetite to either raise taxes or the national debt to fully fund the VA. If we are serious about thanking our vets, let us resolve as a nation that we will pay for all the costs of going to war, including the near-term and long-term expenses of honoring our veterans with the treatment, dignity and care they have earned and deserve. t Veterans Day originated as Armistice Day, proclaimed in 1919 to honor the U.S. service members who had made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I. The chosen date of the commemoration was Nov. 11, to coincide with the armistice that took place in 1918 “on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.”* Armistice Day became an official U.S. holiday in 1938. Following World War II and the Korean War, however, it was renamed Veterans Day, to honor American veterans of all wars. Apart from a few years in the 1970s, Veterans Day has traditionally been observed on Nov. 11. * “History of Veterans Day,” U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Public Affairs: www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp History of Veterans Day
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