5 times higher than the general population, a group of highly decorated veterans have come together to discuss the state of the American military and how Americans can show support for veterans on Veterans Day.
Commander Kirk Lippold, a retired USN Commanding Officer of the USS Cole, Lieutenant Colonel John Stark, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and as a diplomat at the Department of State, and Colonel Pete Metzger, who served twenty-five years as a US Marine Officer, in the CIA, and as the Marine Military Aide to President Ronald Reagan, recently spoke with Fox News Digital about the importance of patriotism and supporting U.S. veterans.
Lippold emphasized the significance of Veterans Day as the one true holiday that recognizes the service of everyone who chose to serve their nation. He expressed his concern that society no longer values the attitude of selflessness and duty to a cause greater than oneself that is inherent in military service.
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"In a society that, in many people's view, has become more self-absorbed and more concerned with 'What's in it for me,' the military is the exact opposite," Lippold said. "It's more about 'What can I become part of to contribute to the greater good of my nation?'"
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Lippold believes that fostering patriotism in the country requires educating the American public about the sacrifices and contributions made by those who serve in the military. He believes that if people truly understood the sacrifices and the fulfilling career that military service can provide, more individuals would be willing to serve and support veterans actively serving within their communities.
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November 12, 2023
Stark reflected on the decline in recruitment numbers across different sectors of the military, which he believes is indicative of a decline in society's ability to raise individuals who are willing to sacrifice for a greater purpose.
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"The general trend in society has been to focus on individual rights and not the group as a whole, and that is a shame," Stark said. "Some veterans take this decline harder than others, especially those who come from families with a long history of military service."
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Metzger added that it is concerning that less than 1% of the American public serves in the armed forces. He believes that while many people express gratitude and support for the military, fewer and fewer individuals are actually raising their right hand to serve.
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Recent Gallup polling shows that less than 40% of U.S. adults say they are "extremely proud" to be American, down from 55% in January 2001. Lippold argued that patriotism was at its true low after the Vietnam War but has since rebounded. However, he believes that many Americans still struggle with how to contribute beyond saying thank you or displaying the flag.
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Stark believes that most people agree with the idea that it is just and right to serve one's country and make sacrifices for something greater than oneself. However, there is a lack of consensus on what form that service should take.
"There are a lot of people with a lot of ideas on how to get people to sacrifice, to do something for their country, instead of asking their country to do something for them," Stark said. "But, most of them are doing the reverse at this time."
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Stark also pointed to the dominance of social media among American youth as a reason for the country's polarization. He believes that the military and those who serve in it generally support one political party over another, which is not conducive to a balanced society. He warned that a divided America will not be able to stand against the new challenges it faces.
To address the issues facing veterans, all three veterans are involved in CharitiesforVets, a non-profit organization advised by a board of highly decorated veterans. The organization aims to serve as a "consumer reports for veterans charities" by using a rigorous ranking system to assess the efficiency of veterans charities.
Lippold explained that often, money allocated to veterans is not used in the most efficient or effective manner. CharitiesforVets reviews the tax returns and other documents of veterans charities to ensure that donations are being used as promised. The organization categorizes charities as not recommended, recommended, or highly recommended based on their performance.
A recent study conducted by CharitiesforVets found that nearly half of the popular veterans charities, which collected $1.4 billion from donors, were not using the money as promised or advertised. Some charities had years' worth of donations sitting in reserves, while others allocated more than 75% of incoming donations to overhead rather than veterans or veterans programs.
Lippold emphasized that CharitiesforVets provides an opportunity for organizations to demonstrate that they have improved their performance and can be recommended or highly recommended. The organization aims to give civilians who want to support veterans the assurance that their donations will be put to good use.
"We want to demonstrate to the American people that when they give their money, it is going to go toward very worthwhile purposes to help veterans," Lippold said.
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