The official start of summer.
School’s out. We head to
the beach and other outdoor activities.
Local bars along waterfronts celebrate, some with special drinks (think
Pina Coladas, Margaritas and Mai Tais) to
kick off the summer season.
However, Memorial Day is a day
of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. It was originally called Decoration Day
– there is evidence that organized women's groups in the South were
decorating graves before the end of the Civil War. It was first observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were
placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National
Cemetery.
Inspired by a poem
“In Flanders Fields” (John McCrea, 1915) Moina Michael replied with her own
poem about Poppy red signifying the blood of heroes. She then conceived of an idea to
wear red poppies on Memorial Day in honor of those who died serving the nation
during war. (“That blood of heroes never dies.”) She was the first to wear one,
and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit
servicemen in need. I still
remember “Decoration Day” – the parades and veterans groups selling those paper
red poppies and people wearing them with pride.
Traditional
observances of Memorial Day have diminished over the years, but there are still
some notable exceptions, such groups as placing small American Flags at
gravestones at National Cemeteries and the Rolling Thunder annual motorcycle
rally held in Washington DC each Memorial Day weekend. Started in 1988 with 2,500
participants, it now draws 900,000 participants and spectators – a tribute to
American war heroes and a call for the government’s recognition and protection
of Prisoners of War (POWs) and those Missing in Action (MIAs).
While it is important
to recognize that Memorial Day should be a day for observing and honoring
fallen service members, it is also a good time to recognize what we can do for
those veterans who have returned and are struggling, especially economically. There is a heightened awareness and
concerted efforts taking place on helping our returning veterans find
jobs. Companies who do business
with the federal government are now required to engage in outreach efforts
(affirmative action) to attract and hire veterans and establish a hiring
benchmark for doing so. What are
some of the things that companies can do to hire veterans?
Here are some
suggestions from the Department of Labor:
·
Work with the Local Veterans’ Employment Representative in the local
employment service office (i.e., the One-Stop) nearest the contractor’s
establishment
·
Work with the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office nearest the
contractor’s establishment
·
Work with the veterans’ counselors and coordinators (“Vet-Reps”) on
college campuses and outreach to protected veterans at educational institutions
·
Work with the service officers of the national veterans’ groups active
in the area of the contractor’s establishment
·
Work with the veterans’ groups and veterans’ service centers near the
contractor’s establishment
·
Work with the Department of Defense Transition Assistance Program (TAP)
·
Work with any organization listed in the Employer Resources section of
the National Resource Directory (http://www.nationalresourcedirectory.gov/)
·
Consult the National Resource Director’s Veterans Job Bank
·
Consider taking the following actions, as appropriate, to provide
meaningful employment opportunities to protected veterans
a.
Formal briefing sessions held on company premises with representatives
from recruiting sources
b.
Tours
c.
Explanations of current and future job openings
d.
Position descriptions
e.
Worker specifications
f.
Explanations of the selection process
·
Participate in work-study programs with the Department of Veterans
Affairs
·
Include protected veterans in career days, youth motivation days, and
related community activities
Even if your company
is not a government contractor, these are all good efforts to help our
returning veterans get re-established.
As our guest Neal Henderson wrote last September 24, “Honor Veterans With Jobs!”