Honor veterans for their service: #tellusatoday

Letters to the editor:

My dad, Walter E. Bill, never talked to me about his military service. He did leave me a journal, some military documents, including individual flight records, and his Distinguished Flying Cross after he passed away in 1999.

When I was a young boy, my mom told me two stories that stick out in my mind. She told me Dad was on a combat mission near New Guinea when he and his crew were attacked by Japanese planes. Dad shot down four or five planes, enabling him and his crew to make it back safely. Also, my mom was in a movie theater in Lowell, Mass., during the war when they showed footage of troops during intermission. Mom jumped out of her seat and screamed in delight when she saw my dad on the screen.

Dad trained at Kelly Field, Texas, and became an aerial navigator. He left for the Pacific in June 1942 and served as a member of a combat crew on heavy bombardment. He completed 44 combat missions with 275 combat hours. He retired as a major in the U.S. Air Force in March 1962.

Dad would have turned 98 this year on Nov. 17. I always think of him, especially on Father's Day, his birthday and Veterans Day.

Russ W. Bill; Fountain Valley, Calif.

There is nothing stronger than the hearts of veterans who have given their allegiance to their country. We see them giving their concentrated efforts fraught with an unknown, unexpected future. They volunteer, and their duty sometimes results in the loss of body parts as well as their futures.

Every day should be an all-embracing dedication to them as a universal thank you.

Mary Alice Ferris; Casselberry, Fla.

When we say: "He gave his life for his country," or "She gave her life for our freedom," we are making very profound statements, but do we really consider what it means when someone loses his or her life at a young age?

When a life is lost, a future is also lost. What kind of life would this person have had? What would their children have been like? What would they have accomplished?

When a life ends, the effect on family members and friends is painful. But when the loss is considered in a larger context, it also could be very significant to our collective future.

Stanley A. Knott; Meadows of Dan, Va.

Focus on job training to help vets

We asked our followers on Twitter what should be done to improve care for veterans. Comments are edited for clarity and grammar:

Improve job training/transition to civilian life, pre and post discharge. About 7% of population are veterans, and 12% of the adult homeless are vets.

— @honestlab

The more open and transparent the Veterans Affairs is, the better. Secretary Robert McDonald encouraged veterans to provide feedback to him.

— @EricPhillipsDC

If the new Veterans Affairs secretary can clean up the mess, that model should be used across entire U.S. government.

— @toddschnitt

Fly those flags Tuesday proudly and cheer on a Veterans Day parade if possible. We owe so much to our veterans; many have given all for us.

— @GregOlmsted

For more of the conversation, follow @USATOpinionor #tellusatodayon Twitter.