‘Military Friendly’ is our state of mind

Official green “Welcome to North Carolina” highway signs stand straight and tall to inform travelers that they have arrived within the boundaries of the “Nation’s Most Military Friendly State.”

The North Carolina Department of Transportation began installing the signs in 2010 at the state borders along the interstate routes as well as US Route 17. Funding for the project was provided by the North Carolina Bankers Association.

While the message on the state welcome signs proudly recognizes that the armed forces play a key role in North Carolina’s economy, The Fayetteville Observer asked: “Does saying it make it so?”

While it may be true that actions speak louder than words, words can lead to action.

What if North Carolina were to take its military friendliness to a higher level?

Would it be too radical to spell Veterans with a capital “V” in all cases when referring to individuals who served admirably in the military?

The North Carolina General Assembly ought to be able to get that done by passing legislation to capitalize the word Veteran in all official communications. This sounds like a good project for Larry D. Hall, Secretary for the North Carolina Department of Military & Veterans Affairs, an appointee of Gov. Roy Cooper. (Hall was a Marine Corps officer and had represented Durham County in the General Assembly for many years.)

The N.C. Veterans Affairs Commission is an advisory body under Hall’s wing, so these people could help as well. Additional support for “uppercase V” could come from the Military Host Cities Coalition, which unifies local governments in the hometowns of principal military installations – namely Jacksonville, Havelock, Goldsboro and Fayetteville.

There is also a thread of precedence found at the federal level. The U.S. Veterans Health Administration’s Graphic Style Guide specifies that “Veteran be capitalized at ALL TIMES.”

We can learn more from studying an initiative in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. There, a local business woman, Kristin Courtney, launched a petition drive in 2017 that stated:

“We, the undersigned, citizens or residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to spell Veteran with a capital V in official government communications when referring to those who went through their military service, have made and continue to make tremendous sacrifices for our country, in order to distinguish them from individuals with much experience in a particular field.”

“It seems like such a small gesture, but I feel our Veterans are most worthy of this distinction.” Courtney added.

She has the support of at least one Member of Parliament. John Oliver, who sits in the House of Commons, representing Oakville, wrote a guest column for The Oakville Beaver, a weekly community newspaper, stating that he’s 100 percent behind Kristin Courtney on this subject.

Oliver said the observance of the 100-year anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 2017 was an occasion when “Canadians from all walks of life paused to pay tribute to the brave members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force who achieved victory at Vimy Ridge” in France during World War I.

“This battle is considered by many to represent a defining moment in Canada’s history, and it serves as a poignant example of the courage, ingenuity and resourcefulness of Canadian forces,” he said.

The four divisions of the Canadian Corps, fighting together for the first time, attacked the ridge from April 9-12, 1917, and captured it from the German army. It was the largest territorial advance of any Allied force to that point in the war.”

Oliver added: “It is important to remember not only the glory of this victory, but also the loss of almost 4,000 Canadian lives and the wounding of 7,000 more. One hundred years later, the bravery and sacrifice of our armed forces remains a point of pride, admiration and gratitude.”

The interest in uppercasing the V in Veteran, gained a new wave of exposure during Canadian Armed Forces Day on July 28, 2018, at the RBC Canadian Open men’s professional golf tournament, hosted in Oakville at the Glen Abbey Golf Club. Live coverage of the four-day tournament was televised by CBS Sports and the Golf Channel.

At this official PGA event, viewers saw a spectacular display of Canadian patriotism. Active duty military members in uniform were present to congratulate all golfers on their finishing holes.

Independent of government, perhaps some of North Carolina’s news media outlets could get this “V is for Veterans” ball rolling within the state by thinking outside the book (as in the Associated Press Stylebook) and begin capitalizing the word Veteran when the noun applies to former military personnel.

Let’s teach our children that “V is for military Veteran.”