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America’s Veterans Honored Daily by Red Cross Services
Written by Mason Booth, Staff Writer, RedCross.org
Nov. 8, 2002 —
At 11:00 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918, European battlefields fell silent, the sound of gunfire replaced by cheers that echoed across the Atlantic and throughout the United States as the end of World War I was universally recognized. Joining in the celebration were American Red Cross employees and volunteers who provided medical and recreational services for the military and their families both at home and abroad during the war.
Red Cross volunteers, joined by armed guards, traveled to remote locations during the Vietnam War to visit the most isolated soldiers.
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Eighty-four years later, on the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the Red Cross again will join the nation in paying tribute to its heroes on Veteran’s Day at Arlington National Cemetery, a site that has become the focal point of reverence for America’s veterans.
During the annual ceremony, representatives from the Red Cross place a wreath at the tomb of the "Unknown Soldier" to honor all those who have served throughout history. While Veteran’s Day is just one date devoted to veteran remembrance and gratitude, the Red Cross has honored and served the nation’s military heroes every day of the year for more than a century through its Armed Forces Emergency Services.
History of Military Service
Even before World War I, the Red Cross had a long history of serving alongside the military. Beginning in the mid-1800s the organization's founder, Clara Barton, risked her life on the battlefields of the Civil War to tend to fallen soldiers. Clara Barton then led a contingent of nurses to Cuba during the Spanish-American War of 1898.
Years later, as the nation found itself in the midst of World War I, Red Cross nurses tended to the wounds of thousands of soldiers. However, their services were not limited to active duty personnel. The Red Cross also pioneered the development of psychiatric nursing programs at veterans' hospitals, made artificial limbs and helped rehabilitate amputees and blinded veterans.
Benefits Assistance Cuts through Red Tape
The variety of services offered to veterans continues to this day and is just as varied as its beginnings. One little known service provided by the Red Cross is its Service to Veterans Program, which takes veterans through every step of the often tedious, time-consuming and confusing task of filing a government financial claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
American Red Cross workers dole out soft drinks to soldiers during the Vietnam War.
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“The purpose of the Service to Veterans program is to act as a middle man between the veterans, their families, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, to help veterans get the benefits they deserve,” said Ronald Williams, coordinator for the board of veterans’ appeals.
Red Cross representatives receive requests for this service primarily from veterans and their dependents and the dependents of deceased service members and veterans, who are seeking financial assistance for medical claims or education.
Often, the applicant must go through several complicated steps before discovering the fate of their claim and therefore commonly look to the Red Cross to get the task accomplished.
“Making a financial claim to the DVA can be full of red tape,” Williams explained. “We work with the veterans and their families and explain what they are eligible for, how to file a claim, and then we stay with them through every step of the process, often acting with power of attorney and testifying on their behalf.”
Although every local chapter does not have an onsite representative, all chapters can refer applicants to the programs headquarters in Washington, D.C. for assistance.
“Even though we help veterans daily, Veterans Day reaffirms what our jobs are all about,” said Williams. “Anything we can do to help, we will do it.”
Red Cross volunteers serving abroad during times of war often had to maintain a smile, even in the midst of the tragedy that surrounded them, to lift the spirits of the servicemen.
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Hospital Visits a Lifeline for Ailing Veterans
While the benefits program assists veterans with government claims, the Red Cross also operates a more hands-on approach at Veterans Affairs medical centers across the nation through the Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service (VAVS).
Through the VAVS, Red Cross volunteers, ranging in age from teenagers to retirees, provide a number of support services to patients in the centers, from physical rehabilitation and social work to general ward help, library work, nursing and administrative support.
With more than 1,600 veterans from World War II alone dying each day in the medical centers, the volunteer presence is often critically important. For the veterans, many of whom have no surviving family members, the volunteers become surrogate families - offering signs that the nation has not forgotten them.
Click here to read the stories of Red Cross volunteers who have dedicated their lives to helping America’s veterans.
Related links:
- American Red Cross Celebrates Veterans Day
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