Wednesday, May 21, 2014

The Wall: by Artemis Reynard, Veterans Advocate

Hello CJ, I am Artemis Reynard, a Veterans Advocate and Human Rights Activist.

In one of the Vietnam Veteran groups, I noticed that you are putting together a special Salute to Memorial Day.  You asked veterans to describe their first visit to The Wall.  I hope you don't mind if I also contribute.

On my first visit to The Wall, I was struck deeply by the realization that each of those names represents a human life.  I felt immense pride to know such honorable men exist who would stand up, without question, for what America is, at it's core.
 
It is to stand up beyond politicians and anything political.  It is to stand up for the beliefs and principles our nation represents in truth and for all we hold dear.

I hold genuine gratitude, appreciation, and respect for the men and women who served in Vietnam.   I know the history and it was not easy, coming home to the way some misguided Americans chose to mistreat and disrespect them.  Their anger should justly have been aimed at the politicians, NOT our veterans. Thankfully, those people do not matter in the bigger picture.

I want Vietnam veterans to know I stand up for them.  I had a difficult childhood that was a war in itself and I had to learn how to fight to free myself. I have become a fighter at heart and a survivor, as are all of them.

If it had not been for veterans, both past and present, I would have walked from one war into the nightmare of another. I am grateful for everything they did and continue to do in securing our rights and freedom.  

For this reason, I became a Veterans Advocate and Human Rights Activist.  I will fight relentlessly for the rights and reforms veterans deserve and should have had to begin with.

We are a grateful nation. Each of them matters and I thank them sincerely.


About the Author:

Artemis Reynard lives in New York, where she is a Veterans Advocate and Human Rights Activist.

She respects our military and its veterans and stands up for their rights, which she believes are horribly overlooked. She works with them to receive what they need in veteran benefits, without the chaotic mire of paperwork and red tape.

She puts compassion into action, actively fighting for human rights and putting an end to human trafficking.



“I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do, and by the grace of God, I will.” ~Everett Hale

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