It’s Time To Fight For Our Veterans

This letter to the editor, by Kris Ruedebusch, appeared in the Hudson Star Observer on March 20, 2025.

I am a fifth generation U.S. Army veteran. A member of my family has served in every major conflict since the Civil War. My grandfather was at Pearl Harbor where his entire unit was decimated, and his brother fought in the trenches of WWI. My father suffered internal wounds most of his life from two tours in Vietnam. My brother still struggles with memories of riding into Sarajevo too late and finding “a broken city filled with graves in every available plot of ground.”

My husband and I met while we were both assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C. We married a mere week before he deployed to Iraq in 2003. He recently retired after 27 years of service. I have lived my life surrounded by loved ones coping with a range of disabilities from their service.

Many veterans struggle to acclimate to civilian life once they exit the military. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, veterans make up 11% of the homeless population and over 500,000 live below the poverty line. In a study by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, 50% of veterans leave their first civilian job within a year (65% within two years). Critical to helping veterans thrive post service are essential federal programs and, for many, the ability to continue their service as a federal civilian employee where they make up 30% of the workforce. Programs like Skillbridge help veterans have greater success in their first civilian job while the VA, HUD and HHS offer programs to help those struggling with homelessness, poverty, physical disabilities, and PTSD.

Veterans’ programs are under attack by an unelected billionaire who has directed departments to fire 6,000 of our nation’s heroes in pursuit of reducing government spending. His goal is to eliminate 200,000 positions (80,000 within the VA), yet this represents less than 1% of federal spending. He is harming our veterans for no reason. While it’s easy to blame Elon Musk for this, make no mistake, our elected officials are responsible and accountable for inflicting these atrocities on the veterans who fought for us.

Regardless of who you voted for in November, it is time for all of us to put aside party and politics and fight for our veterans and civil servants. Demand that our elected president fulfill his commitment to veterans – many of whom voted for him. Congress has tremendous power to push back on the slash and burn tactics of DOGE and an unelected billionaire, but they refuse to use it. Call and write to your representatives and senators to demand action. Demand that they listen through town halls and engage with the constituents they are obligated to represent. Don’t let Elon buy our Wisconsin elections where he will target our veteran neighbors. Thanking a veteran for their service is no longer enough – it is time to fight for them.