Editor, Times-Union: The parades are over. Another Memorial Day has passed. Americans often say, “Thank you to our service members,” but do they really care? How many broken promises have the retired and active duty endured? Today less than 0.5 percent of the United States population are in the military – the lowest ratio since World War II. Most of the volunteers are from southern or rural states, and 80 percent of them have had a relative that was in the service. We watch television and see our service members lose limbs and have mental conditions for the rest of their lives. The military veteran has the highest suicide rates. When we thank our military member for their service, are we saying to ourselves, “I am glad you served so I didn’t have to and neither will my children.” Paul Fribley Warsaw
