Germany's Veterans

From Deutsche Welle:
"Germany mulls instituting Veterans' Day"

Germany's defense minister has called for an annual Veterans' Day, honoring former German soldiers, both living and dead. A common holiday in many parts of the world received a mixed response in Germany.Several countries around the world host "remembrance days" to commemorate and honor the contribution and services of their servicemen and women. Now, Germany may be set to follow if Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere gets his way. De Maiziere said the proposal was timely, given Germany's increasing military presence around the world. Germany's first foreign military mission since World War II took place in 1991 during the second Gulf War. Since then, about 300,000 soldiers have served abroad in operations ranging from Kosovo, the Horn of Africa and Afghanistan. Over 100 troops have been killed. However, the search for a suitable date for the commemoration day has proved tricky. De Maiziere originally suggested using the Volkstrauertag in November, a national day of mourning for soldiers and civilians killed in war and victims of violent oppression around the world. Now, de Maiziere has suggested holding Veterans' Day on May 22 - the anniversary of the Bundeswehr's founding in 1956. One question has consistently popped up in the debate over Veterans' Day in Germany - who actually qualifies as a veteran? Only those soldiers who served abroad or all long-serving, older soldiers too? Germany has not had a Veterans'Day since the Third Reich and does not, unlike France or the United States, remember its 7 million servicemen who died in the two world wars. And, there were no "new" veterans during the Cold War because the Bundeswehr did not take part in combat operations.

^ I think Germany should remember both the veterans and the soldiers that were killed serving their country since 1946. One pet-peeve I have is that a veteran is only a LIVING soldier and those that are Dead (whether in combat or old-age) should be remembered separately. I know in Germany it is difficult to say who is a veteran since until recently they had conscripts and unlike the US they never sent their conscripts into war zones. In this case I think a German vet is a person who stayed beyond their conscription (wheras in the US I think anyone who served - even those drafted - are veterans since they were sent into harm's way.) ^

http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,15862988,00.html