Should an annual Veterans Day be established to honor the men and women who served in the armed forces? The idea is not new. It is picking up speed on the occasion of the Invictus Games.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has spoken out in favor of introducing Veterans Day. “I’m being absolutely open about this,” the SPD politician told the news portal “ZDFheute.de” on Sunday night. Since the Bundeswehr is a parliamentary army, the initiative should come from the Bundestag. But he could imagine, “if you do it right, it’s a really good idea.” The German Bundeswehr Association had repeatedly brought up the idea of an annual Veterans Day.
The day before, the Bundestag’s military commissioner, Eva Högl (SPD), had already campaigned for this. “I hope that this debate will also gain momentum during the Invictus Games and will promote it,” she told the “Rheinische Post” and the Bonn “General-Anzeiger” (Saturday) on the occasion of the international sports festival for war-disabled soldiers Dusseldorf.
The Bundeswehr Association had suggested September 9th or 16th of this year as the first date for an annual Veterans Day. This is the beginning and end of the Invictus Games.
The idea was already discussed in 2012
A veteran of the Bundeswehr is anyone who is in active service as a soldier or who has honorably left this service. This means that almost all current and former members of the Bundeswehr are veterans.
The idea of a Veterans Day was already brought up in 2012 by the then Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière (CDU). He now spoke out in “ZDFheute.de” in favor of defining the term veteran narrowly. “If all former soldiers are to be honored, the term veteran will be devalued. Then I would be against such a special day. There is also Bundeswehr Day.”
Left: Completely out of time
Left leader Martin Schirdewan opposed the introduction of such a day and described the idea as completely out of date. It promotes militarization and the glorification of war.
Pistorius also criticized increasing hate comments on social networks against soldiers and veterans as “difficult to endure”. You have to ask yourself where the hate comes from. “And against people who were injured while serving Germany.”
Source: Stern
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