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A commentary from Ron Way in the Nov. 9 Opinion Exchange ("What's so special about veterans?") was written by someone who doesn't understand what those in current service and veterans of foreign conflicts have given up and continue to give up, most for the rest of their lives. I am an Army veteran who was called at first by the draft law to be a part of our nation's defense — I wasn't asked; I was told when and where to report for my physical and for duty. Shortly after basic training at Fort Knox, Ky., I was sent to Fort Belvoir, Va., across from Washington, D.C. The first month I was part of a search and rescue battalion looking for a downed B-52 bomber in January in the snow-covered mountains of Maryland. Our team found clothing from one of the dead pilots and wreckage. What we found out later was that there were two live atomic bombs on board that were disarmed and picked up by another military group.

After that first assignment, I served duty far from family and loved ones in the U.S. and in 1965 was given a week's leave to go home to visit family. After we returned to Fort Belvoir, our battalion was part of a large contingent flown to California, boarded on the troop ship USS Mann for a destination unknown except to company commanders and officers — no information for our families as to our destination. Twenty seven days later we arrived at Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam. During my tour, we lived in tents, with no showers at first, and ate C-rations, some left over from World War II and Korea. Daily temperatures were up to 117 degrees, and duty was tough in preparing for incoming troops.

I returned home to family in Illinois, having given up those years of my life involuntarily but proudly. Aftereffects of that duty from Agent Orange exposure and from being sprayed to defoliate the jungle where we were stationed brought me cancer. Body parts were removed forever and, at this point, successfully against the cancer. A small check comes monthly but doesn't cover things that are different for the rest of my life.

The writer laments that he witnessed veterans enjoying while he volunteered for four days at a veterans' retreat. Remember that all military personnel give up their freedoms where someone else owns, either voluntarily or involuntarily, all parts of their lives that aren't coming back to them. I have no regrets, consider it one of the greatest parts of my life and thank always what the Department of Veterans Affairs does for me and my family.

Lee Waldon, Buffalo, Minn.

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I was stunned by the commentary "What's special about veterans?" Not only was it insulting to our veterans but it was inexcusable to run it the day after our national election — an election provided to us by veterans who have put their lives on the line since the beginning of our country.

Way seems to believe if a member of our military hasn't fought on the front lines, they haven't done anything. There is more to a military than simply shooting at the enemy.

Its members act as a deterrent to Russia, China, international terrorists and North Korea. They are necessary to assist in natural disasters and internal security threats. Way doesn't seem to understand the military's first goal is to be a deterrent.

Members of the military and their families make great sacrifices to keep us secure, always on call and sent to conflicts all over the world on short notice.

Way seems upset that our veterans have good health benefits that aren't available to others. That's absurd. VA hospitals are in complete disrepair throughout the country. In New Hampshire, for example, fly infestations in VA operating rooms led to canceled procedures in 2018 and 2019, according to Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan. Congress has not provided the billions needed to fix VA hospitals throughout the country.

The level of suicides in the military is twice the national average. Little is being done to address it. So much for Way's perception that "vets get high-quality, no- or low-cost public health care while the rest of us pay dearly into a private system."

Way's real objective apparently is to have the same health care that veterans get for everyone in the country. I suggest he make that argument in a commentary without throwing our military under the bus.

He may first, however, want to take time to understand why this "high-quality," "low-cost" military health care model is failing our military before launching the concept nationwide.

Jim Piga, Mendota Heights

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As a veteran who served in combat, I couldn't agree more with Ron Way. There was another piece in the paper about different bills in the Minnesota House designed to further benefit veterans specifically, and it left me frustrated. Way's piece was the chaser I needed to recover from that. He so perfectly highlighted the massive amount of political favoritism that veterans receive, all while many vets deride the government for programs just like the ones they benefit from. I have long believed that programs like the VA hospitals provide a strong model for how the United States could care for most of the country. There is a lot of frustration for the tragic amount of veterans who resort to suicide to quell their grief, and many programs like the retreat Way volunteered for seem designed to counter those instances. However, not enough discussion takes place to consider how we could collectively work to improve society in a way that could help both veterans and everyone else who feels like things are hopeless.

This leads me to an idea that has stuck with me lately. There is a design principle that many in the civil engineering world are opening up to that says, "If you create an environment that is suitable for both 8-year-olds and 80-year-olds, you've created an environment that is beneficial for everybody." Perhaps siloing veterans in their own category is the wrong way of thinking, and if we could build structures that take care for all who contribute to our country, we could do a lot of good for veterans as well.

Thanks to Way for his contribution. I'm sure he's heard from many who disagree with his point so I wanted to add some positivity to the mix.

Sean Phillips, White Bear Lake

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Military service takes many forms, some voluntary, some not, and this Veterans Day I'd like to acknowledge a group that mostly goes unrecognized: service spouses, especially those stationed overseas.

At her job on-base, my 21-year-old bride sat on the floor under her desk during drills; she rode 45 minutes with me each way when we were on alert and working 12-hour duty shifts because we only had one car; she plugged coins into a meter to heat bath water; she opened wide for an Air Force dentist (no offense). More than anything, she spent years living far from her family, friends and profession. Service spouses make countless sacrifices many civilians have no awareness of.

So to my sweetie and to those like her who carry an ID card out of love rather than duty, you're as much a vet as I am. Thank you, too, for your service.

Jim Koloc, Eagan

Not unlike opening a window in a smoke-filled room, the article about the "wonderful experiment" of bison roaming in Spring Lake Park Reserve in Hastings was like fresh air coming in, letting out those dark, sinister ads and unsettling, slanted-mirror opinions about everything political ("New home where bison can roam," Nov. 4). Thanks to the reporter and photographer for allowing us to breathe a little prairie-healthy (and sane) Minnesota air! My vote? For the "lumbering" bison!

Judith Monson, St. Paul