CW: Military Service, Suicide, Cancer & Death
Every Veterans Day, we honor the people who have served. Flags line the streets, parades are held, and veterans hear well-deserved words of gratitude. It is a day for saying thank you, but also for listening more closely to what veterans may carry with them long after military service ends.
For disabled veterans, coming home can mark the beginning of a different journey. Chronic pain may become part of everyday life. Others may undergo years of rehabilitation after an injury. Some disabilities are visible, while others are not. A uniform can be put away, but disability cannot.
Disabilities like PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) can impact veterans in the quietest of ways and can have a profound effect on daily life. It can make sleeping difficult, it can bring back the trauma of the event itself, can leave someone in a state of constant hypervigilance. It can impact work, relationships, and the ability to enjoy everyday life.
For some veterans, the symptoms do not manifest until months or years after the event. An injury does not have to be visible in order to change a person’s life and healing does not always begin the moment a veteran comes home.
Being disabled affects every aspect of a person’s life, changing how they work, travel, and spend time with family. Disabled veterans may find themselves navigating disability benefits, rehabilitation, healthcare, and employment while also adjusting to life back home.
Healthcare is an especially important part of the transition. For veterans in rural areas, long distances, transportation difficulties, staff shortages, and limited internet access can stand between them and the services they need. For someone living with chronic pain or limited mobility, even a routine medical appointment can require considerable planning and energy.
For some people, the healthcare system itself is a barrier. Retired Army recruiter Guy Shoemaker spent more than a decade telling prospective recruits that military service came with healthcare for life.
After developing throat cancer, he relied on TRICARE for treatment and follow-up care. When his coverage moved to TriWest, previously approved claims were overturned, and he stopped attending regular therapy appointments because he could no longer afford them. His condition worsened. TriWest later said his original claims were reprocessed and paid correctly, although Shoemaker subsequently reported another denial.
His experience reminds us that homecoming is not always the end of what a veteran must endure. Coverage means little when administrative problems interrupt the care someone depends on. For disabled veterans, access is not simply about having insurance. It is about receiving high-quality care whenever it is needed.
Mental healthcare deserves the same attention. In 2023, the suicide rate per 100,000 veterans in the United States increased for both women and men. Among women veterans, it rose from 13.7 to 13.9; among men, from 37.3 to 37.8. Behind these statistics are people, families, friendships, and communities. Unfortunately, coming home does not necessarily mean someone’s hardest struggles are behind them.
Finding employment after serving is often challenging. Disabled veterans may leave military service with years of experience and valuable skills while adjusting to disabilities and unfamiliar workplaces. Some need accommodations. Others may encounter discrimination. The employment gap reflects some of those barriers. Recent Department of Labor data shows an unemployment rate of 6.6% among disabled veterans compared with 3.3% among nondisabled veterans.
Then there is the administrative side of disability. Being disabled can mean navigating applications, medical documentation, forms, and eligibility requirements. When you are facing a disability and urgently need support, navigating paperwork can be exhausting.
Recognizing these realities on Veterans Day does not diminish our gratitude. It deepens it. Honoring disabled veterans means seeing and supporting them throughout their lives
A thank-you matters. Accessible healthcare, safe housing, meaningful work, dignity, independence, and reliable help also matter. Perhaps one of the most meaningful ways to honor veterans is not only to remember what they sacrificed while serving the country but also to care about them after they return.
Sources:
Kane, Jason, et al. “He Pitched Military Service With a Promise of Lifetime Healthcare. When He Needed It, the System Failed.” NBC News, 6 May 2026, https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/pitched-military-service-promise-lifetime-healthcare-needed-system-fai-rcna331807 .
Mordowanec, Nick. “VA Releases Newest Veteran Suicide Data. Here’s What They Found.” Military.com, 12 Feb. 2026,https://www.military.com/daily-news/2026/02/12/va-releases-newest-veteran-suicide-data-heres-what-they-found.html .
“Latest Numbers.” Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, U.S. Department of Labor,https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/latest-numbers .
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna, et al. “PTSD in Military Service Members and Veterans.” Veteran and Military Mental Health, Springer, 24 Mar. 2023, pp. 193–211. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-18009-5_12.