This
Memorial Day weekend is not only time to remember the dead -- but to salute and help the survivors of the battlefields.
The war in
Iraq is over and the one in
Afghanistan
is drawing to an end. Over the last decade, 2.5 million American men
and women fought and bled for our country. Now they're picking up their
gear and coming home.
They're facing an America where jobs are
still scarce, and where the recession has shuttered thousands of small
businesses -- the mainstay of our economy.
Fortunately there's a
fresh narrative in 2012: We shall not abandon these veterans, as we did
during the Vietnam generation. This time we must ensure that returning
soldiers have a future in the democracy they fought to keep free.
But
extending emotional and medical counseling is not enough. Veterans must
be given opportunities to attain fiscal independence. The need is not
in question, but the challenge is how many of us will match our
emotional outpouring with actual deeds.
How do we accomplish
these goals? It's admirable that the Obama administration announced the
formation of an initiative for businesses to join the government in
helping veterans. But the challenge is too massive for the government to
do it all. We need help from individuals with business experience and a
willingness to share it.
Jerry Kramer of Boca Raton is nearly 84, a Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient in the
Korean War ,
and someone who has been involved in veterans affairs for 50 years. He
remembers nearly freezing to death in what is referred to as "the
forgotten war." Jerry wants to make sure that today's veterans are not
only remembered, but loved.
He remembers returning from Korea in
1952 with no education or means of support, but with an indomitable will
to succeed. After years of struggle, Jerry built a thriving
construction business and earned a college degree at night. He
enthusiastically believes that America is still the land of opportunity
and that the doors must be open for today's veterans as they were for
him more than half a century ago.
Kramer's goal is simple:
Business. Meaning veterans willing to invest time and preseverance can
become small business owners. With a large sum of his own money, Jerry
founded the Pathway to Business, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit
organization. Pathway's board includes Gen. Joseph A. Taluto (ret.),
commander of the 42nd National Guard Division, who served in Iraq in
2005 and 2006, and Adam Bandici, CPA and estate tax attorney who won
awards for his business probity.
According to its website,
Pathway was "created for the sole purpose of funding entrepreneurial
veterans" through grants once they complete the business training
program offered by Pathway's partner, South Palm Beach SCORE. Most
importantly, the grant is not a loan, carries no interest, and need not
be repaid.
Let's meet Pathway's first recipient of a $40,000
grant. The veteran's name is Fred Pollino, 39, married and father of a
3-year-old boy. Fred was a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan, badly
wounded in combat, shipped to Germany for rehab, and then back home.
Imbued with an American work ethic and an ambition to advance, Fred
worked two jobs: one, airline pilot part of the week and, two, cleaning
escalators in department stores.
Then he had an idea: A better,
quicker and more efficient way to clean escalators. He contacted Pathway
-- and the rest will soon be a history lesson in patriotism.
How
to encourage more successful stories? First, Pathway needs more
veterans with business ideas. Remember, there's no intricate
bureaucracy. The applications are investigated and action taken as soon
as possible.
Second, Pathway also needs business people, active
or retired, to come forward and become involved. And third, Pathway
needs donations. The money on hand will not last for long, and Pathway
has a grand ambition to help many veterans now and for years to come.
The website is: pathwaytobusinesssuccess.org
Happy Memorial Day! Drive safely. Love America.