Wounded Times: Winn Dixie Forgot To Honor All The Other 20 Million Veterans

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
July 1, 2015

Blind patriotism is writing a check and thinking you just did something worthy of all they did for us. Ignorance is no excuse for forgetting those who came before those you choose to remember.

This morning started out like every other day. I got up at 4:30, put on the coffee, let my dog out and turned on the TV to catch up on the news. As soon as I turned it on there was, what I thought would be, a great patriotic commercial for those who served this nation. After all, they are the reason we are still free. They are ready to defend us with their lives. All of them. And that is the part that made me sick to my stomach.

The commercial from Winn Dixie wasn't about all our veterans. It was not about the over 20 million veterans out of the news and the spotlight of the reporters. It wasn't about all the dedicated groups taking care of all our veterans equally simply because they are worthy of so much more. No, not about WWII veterans, Korean War veterans, Vietnam War veterans or Gulf War veterans. It was about donating money to Wounded Warrior Project despite the hashtag Winn Dixie wants folks to use which is "#allforhonor."

This is from WWP website

Why don't you offer services to ALL veterans?
WWP began as a small, grassroots effort to provide immediate assistance when a warrior of this generation was injured. We felt we could do the most good by providing more comprehensive programs and services to the newly injured, rather than spread ourselves too thin by trying to help all veterans. We also knew there were many terrific veterans' organizations for warriors from previous conflicts, but very few focused on serving our newest generation.

Driving to work at 5:45, my favorite radio station played their ad. They repeated it all day long.

I emailed Winn Dixie and asked how they abandoned the other veterans. This was their response.

Thank you for reaching out to us to express your opinions. We are partnering with WPP for this particular promotion because we have a responsibility to care and contribute to the lives of those who have served and sacrificed for our nation, and we believe WWP is doing just that. We have chosen to be specific with our donation by donating to the Independence program so that 100% of our donation goes directly to the veterans they serve and not administrative costs.

We understand that our campaign focus is of concern to you, but we hope you’ll understand this is one of many programs we have in place to give back to the communities we serve, many of which are veterans organizations. Just last year, with the help of our customers, vendor partners and associates – BI-LO, Harveys and Winn-Dixie channeled more than $10 million and nearly 33 million pounds of food back to hundreds of non-profit organizations across our footprint. Again, we appreciate your feedback and thank you for shopping with us!
Winn Dixie Customer Support

This is their press release

BI-LO, Harveys and Winn-Dixie to hold Wounded Warrior Project Day
Fourth of July profits to go to Wounded Warrior Project

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., July 1, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) and longtime collaborator Southeastern Grocers — home of BI-LO, Harveys and Winn-Dixie — band together for a special Fourth of July initiative: Wounded Warrior Project Day. Southeastern Grocers will donate every cent of every dollar of Independence Day profits to WWP to help support the Independence Program.

The WWP Independence Program helps warriors live life to the fullest, on their own terms. It pairs a specialized case manager with each injured service member and his or her family to develop a personalized plan that targets the warrior's needs or interests. In many instances, for the cost of one month in an in-patient institutionalized brain injury rehabilitation program, the WWP Independence Program can provide a year's worth of community-based support on a weekly basis to an individual warrior.

On Saturday, July 4, BI-LO, Harveys and Winn-Dixie customers can support WWP programs by simply shopping at one of the nearly 800 participating grocery stores in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North and South Carolina. Customers are also able to make individual contributions to WWP at BI-LO, Harveys and Winn-Dixie websites and in-store checkout stations.

"BI-LO, Harveys and Winn-Dixie operate in states with some of the highest active duty military populations in the United States," said Ian McLeod, Southeastern Grocers president and chief executive officer.

McLeod announced the initiative and thanked active and retired military and their families for their service and sacrifice. "While we recognize on Memorial Day those soldiers who paid the supreme sacrifice, and give thanks to those that have served on Veterans Day; the sacrifice and needs of those who are severely injured visibly or invisibly is not necessarily fully understood. I am honoured that we are running this program and am thankful to the military men and women and their families for their service and sacrifice."

"We are excited to continue our work with BI-LO, Harveys and Winn-Dixie in the spirit of lifelong commitment to serving our nation's veterans," said Steve Nardizzi, WWP chief executive officer. "The promise we have made to injured servicemen and women is evident in the kindness from companies like Southeastern Grocers. The generosity that will result from Wounded Warrior Project Day is vital to honoring and empowering our nation's bravest. Independence Day provides a timely framework to celebrate that mission and those who help us fulfill it, while uplifting those we serve."

Wounded Warrior Project Day is one of many ways Southeastern Grocers continues to support Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP). Southeastern Grocers has donated more than $610,000 to WWP in the following areas: Believe In Heroes® campaign, Soldier Ride® and the Alumni Program. Wounded Warrior Day will also be celebrated on social media platforms across the Internet. Donors with social media accounts are welcome to post tributes to injured veterans using #allforhonor.

All for honor? Seriously? I thought about all my uncles who served in WWII. They passed away years ago after fighting for this country. My husband's Dad and his uncles also served in WWII and passed away. We're losing that generation but many are still with us and they endured the same wounds as the generations before them.

I thought about my Dad and how he served in Korea and all the other Korean veterans still with us. My Dad was 100% disabled but he passed away years ago after his generation also suffering from the same wounds.

I thought about my husband, a Vietnam veteran, also 100% disabled for serving this country and thank God he is still here. We've been married over 30 years. There are a lot of other families just like mine. Forgotten in all of this even though our generation fought for everything being done on PTSD and TBI long before this generation was even born topped off with Agent Orange. I thought about how most of the veteran suicides are over the age of 50 but no one seems to care.

I thought about friends, Gulf War veterans suffering from the same wounds plus the wounds causing illnesses no one is really sure about even after all these years.

Then I thought about all the organizations formed so many years ago but have been ignored by all these businesses writing checks and getting a lot of publicity doing it. They are blind, as you noticed from the response from Winn Dixie.

We belong to the Disabled American Veterans. My husband is a Commander at one of the Chapters. We belong simply because of the work they have been doing for all disabled veterans since WWI. One of those veterans was my Dad and then they helped my husband.

The historical account of DAV in Wars and Scars on the pages that follow tells the story of that journey, from the days after World War I to the men and women of today returning from Iraq, Afghanistan and beyond. It tells the story of the veterans, families and civilians who made the commitment that none of America’s heroes should ever go it alone.

We support and belong to the Veterans of Foreign Wars

The VFW traces its roots back to 1899 when veterans of the Spanish-American War (1898) and the Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902) founded local organizations to secure rights and benefits for their service: Many arrived home wounded or sick. There was no medical care or veterans' pension for them,and they were left to care for themselves.

In their misery, some of these veterans banded together and formed organizations with what would become known as the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. After chapters were formed in Ohio, Colorado and Pennsylvania, the movement quickly gained momentum. By 1915, membership grew to 5,000; by 1936, membership was almost 200,000

I belong to Point Man International Ministries helping veterans heal the spiritual wound of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder since 1984.

Since 1984, when Seattle Police Officer and Vietnam Veteran Bill Landreth noticed he was arresting the same people each night, he discovered most were Vietnam vets like himself that just never seemed to have quite made it home. He began to meet with them in coffee shops and on a regular basis for fellowship and prayer. Soon, Point Man Ministries was conceived and became a staple of the Seattle area. Bills untimely death soon after put the future of Point Man in jeopardy.

However, Chuck Dean, publisher of a Veterans self help newspaper, Reveille, had a vision for the ministry and developed it into a system of small groups across the USA for the purpose of mutual support and fellowship. These groups are known as Outposts. Worldwide there are hundreds of Outposts and Homefront groups serving the families of veterans.

When you go shopping on July 4th remember the faces that have been forgotten by Winn Dixie and far too many others pretending to be doing something for all veterans while only caring about some.