Soldiers from Ft. Lee, Virginia help mark Veterans Day ceremonies at the World War II Memorial Nov. 11, 2011 in Washington, D.C. Veterans Day in the United States honors those who have served in the nation’s military and also coincides with the anniversary of the conclusion of hostilities on the western front in World War I. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Veterans Day is meant to remember those who served, with many losing their lives to fight for the United States. Some Ohio vets want the state to fight better for them.
While at the Veterans Day Ceremony in Green, Army vet Rodney Yeargin reflected on his time in the service.
“(The day is) to realize and understand the honor and separation that they went through,” Yeargin said.
Although numbers vary from state to federal databases, the state reported that they have nearly 700,000 veterans.
Ohio has a slew of resources for veterans, ranging from educational opportunities — like a fast track to earning college credits — to employment assistance, like the specific career program to help vets find jobs.
Some of the programs have benefited state Rep. Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson), an Air Force vet who sits on the House Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committee.
“There’s a lot of work that we do about accessibility for services and trying to enhance veterans’ way of life here in Ohio,” Weinstein said.
But Yeargin says Ohio could be doing better.
“The state should be doing more, especially for the homeless,” he said. “There’s too many of them killing themselves [sic], there’s too many of them sitting on the streets in boxes.”
There are more than 630 unhoused veterans in Ohio, federal data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates. Plus, more than 7% of all vets in Ohio live in poverty.