Local restaurants are offering free meals to veterans today -- and asking for A MILITARY ID. Somehow I don’t think, despite their good intentions, that they quite get the point of being a VETERAN. You know -- discharged, no longer active duty, don’t HAVE a military ID any longer? What, are we supposed to carry around a copy of our DD-214, and even if we did, would the restaurant accept it? Or even know what it is?

I love that people since 9/11 are finally giving Veterans their due. Unfortunately, thanks to misplaced and overzealous patriotism pushed by the neo-con Republicans, there seems to be a selective process on some peoples’ parts when it comes to deciding WHO is a veteran.

Oldsters that served prior to 1980? Absolutely, especially if they show a physical infirmity!

Vietnam vets. Prior to 9/11 they used to be the national pariahs. If anything good came out of that day, it’s that people are FINALLY recognizing the contributions of that group.

Middle East war vets -- of course they are universally loved and recognized, regardless of what side of the aisle you are from. Not that this has any affect on providing any of them with adequate medical care when they return to this country, housing or shelter, jobs, mental health care or anything else. But we love them! Why, twice a year we break out the American Flags and wave them in their honor, on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, showing them just how much we care! Meanwhile, Republican Presidential hopefuls stand by and do nothing while a serving, active duty soldier gets booed by a debate audience for asking a question that is current and relevant. Oh, yeah, most of them apologized AFTER the debate -- but I think it’s a better measure of their character on how they responded at the time than how they responded after when their handlers prompted them with prepared statements.

Then there is the forgotten veterans that make up the vast majority of the group. The ones that nobody remembers, never get recognized, receive no benefits of any kind except maybe some educational benefits (if they are lucky) and are largely ignored by their country’s citizens -- even on Veteran’s Day. Who are these mysterious invisible people? They are…. the average veterans! For example, me and my brother.

We didn’t happen to serve during a major war. We weren’t injured or suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. We weren’t part of a big group that earned the sympathy of the nation for whatever reason.

Instead, we were patriots. We joined as volunteers (although, in truth, our group is largely made up of draftees from the Vietnam War era and earlier, though that group is declining through attrition) when we didn’t have to. We kept the government’s dream of an All Volunteer Force alive. In my brother’s case, he served most of his 4 year tour on the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. I served just over 8 years, 5 of them on nuclear missile subs out of Bangor, WA and 3 years in the barracks at Naval Station San Diego. During that 8 years I received my Good Conduct medal, more letters of commendation that I can count, an Expert Pistol Shot medal (I volunteered for the security for and was trained by marines), multiple unit commendations, and ultimately received the Navy Achievement Medal while in San Diego for writing a computer networking program that saved the Navy millions of dollars a year.

I am not that unusual, though. I am like so many others in that I served my country, did my time and got out to pursue a life as a civilian. I am not on disability of any type (nor is my brother), I don’t belong to the local Foreign Legion, I did not serve overseas on any major campaigns (although I did serve during the Cold War).

So next time you see all the fuss on television about Veterans Day or Memorial Day, remember that there are a hell of a lot more “forgotten” veterans out there like me than the ones they trot out for the big fancy ceremonies. We are all patriots and love our country -- some of us are just more visible than others.