Another Veterans Day has just passed, a day honoring those that have worn the uniforms of our armed forces. It’s our nation’s official annual thank-you to those that willingly give up their civilian freedoms in dutifully protecting and serving the country as a whole. It’s a day celebrating their special patriotism and commitment to defending a way of life most take for granted but which those in the military ironically can’t fully enjoy themselves. I myself couldn’t wait until I could again wear “civvies” full-time, enjoying full benefit of our Bill of Rights and free from the confines of the UCMJ. Though it’s Armed Forces Day that specifically honors active duty personnel, and Memorial Day commemorates those that gave their lives, Veterans Day nevertheless venerates all military service past and present.

The question I asked myself this 11th of November was: “Given the immense sacrifice made by those in uniform, has that sacrifice been well spent? Have we done right by our men and women in uniform?”

At the end of World War I it was thought that the best way to honor those that had fought in “The War To End All Wars” was to remember their sacrifice by pursuing international cooperation and ensuring that such monstrously futile militarism would never be repeated. November 11 would forever be known as Armistice Day, a day when the victory of peace would be celebrated by recognizing war as an ultimately senseless loss of life that eventually brings us no closer to any lasting security from violent aggression.

After the repeated insanity of yet a Second World War, our then named Department of War was deftly rebranded the Department of Defense as a proudly victorious America embraced its growing military power. Soon afterwards, Armistice Day gave way to Veterans Day, overtly celebrating our overwhelming military might and its worldwide dominance. Then came Korea and Vietnam, rudely challenging our believed invincible “exceptionalism.” Half of Korea and all of Vietnam still remain communist. Following those major defeats, infrequent minor military victories here and there haven’t fulfilled their overarching purpose of Making America Great Again.

All of our military engagements since 911 have fundamentally failed in achieving their purported goals. America remains no more secure now than it was when the Twin Towers fell. Some might argue that the world would be even less safe without those violent conflicts, that those acts of offense are a necessary best defense. That rationalization provides solace to many wanting to believe all that patriotic commitment wasn’t for naught, especially to those whose loved ones were lost forever in those deployments. Especially when Iraq never had weapons of mass destruction until we delivered them as “Shock and Awe” raining down from the sky upon a people innocent of any attack on us and in no need of even more brutality than they were already suffering at the hands of their own government.

The sad truth is that the world is not a better place because that unquestioned monetary and human treasure was expended. Nothing’s been resolved in ending the existential threat of adversaries that have no borders, wear no identifying uniform, and who willingly embrace suicide as a tactical weapon. We find ourselves no nearer any real solution to ending aggression or to succeeding in some misguided notion of establishing an imposed “world order.” We’ve spent so much taxpayer money on endless war since 911 that we’ve literally lost count. The Defense Department actually can’t come up with even a ballpark figure in a surreal open-ended war in which our enemies are routinely bribed with cash to allow safe passage of U.S. supply convoys and traditional military support and security is outsourced to favored civilian subcontractors. Some conservative estimates put post-9-11 war expenditures at more than $5 trillion, thus far.

So, where’s the peace payout? Where’s any real sense of a secure America

America’s largest manufacturing export is weaponry. We’re the world’s largest arms-maker and foremost supplier. We justify having the most nuclear weapons by calling them a “deterrent.” Against others’ use of them? That obviously isn’t working very well regarding North Korea. Against unarmed commercial aircraft being flown into our towering epicenter of capitalism and the iconic five sided heart of our country’s defense? Its difficult to say which is working worse, our offense or defense. Meanwhile, those in uniform pay an often needless price. The blame for that doesn’t lie with those steadfastly serving but with those that supposedly lead. Ultimately the blame lies with a “Not my problem” civilian disinterest.

The best way to honor our protectors is to keep them out of the uncaring harm’s way of rote militarism. That the promotion of peace is seen by some as unpatriotic is plainly idiotic. Veterans will be patriotically best served when Veterans Day once again becomes Armistice day.

PeaceWorks is a greater Brunswick advocacy group dedicated to ending armed conflict. Each Friday evening they hold a vigil on Maine St. in opposition to an increasing military adventurism that doesn’t do right by those in uniform. Veterans are not only welcome but are part of their membership.

Gary Anderson lives in Bath.