Don’t Leave Them Alone
The war veterans deserve our care and love.
∘ Kalatozov’s The Cranes Are Flying (1957)
∘ Pandemic and Veterans in Russia
∘ Pandemic and Veterans in Los Angeles, California (USA)
∘ Soldiers Angels in Vancouver (WA) and Portland (OR)
Kalatozov’s The Cranes Are Flying (1957)
The Cranes Are Flying was a visual love song dedicated to all young couples whose connection with nature and their dreams of the future were crushed by the ugliness of war. Crushed but not killed. Millions of those who returned from the war had to join their families and communities in finding hope and strength to build new life. They had to find a new connection with nature as well. The title of the picture is not only metaphorical but also quite literal.
The last scene of the film is the culmination of the story where Veronika’s “death and resurrection” are on the display. We see how her “inner phoenix” rises from aches to hope, dream, and love again.
How is that even possible?! Everything is possible…Anything is possible. She’s listening to Stepan’s speech before the masses and is transformed in front of our eyes.
We shall not forget those left behind on the battleship. Time will pass. Towns and villages will be rebuilt. Our wounds will heal. But our fierce hatred of war will never diminish! We share the grief of those who cannot meet their loved ones today, and we will do everything to insure that sweethearts are never again parted by war, and that brides never lose their grooms, that mothers need never again fear for their children’s lives, that courageous fathers need never again choke back hidden tears. We have won and we shall live not to destroy but to build a new life! ~Stepan (The Cranes Are Flying)
Pandemic and Veterans in Russia
Fast-forward to the present days Russia and her war veterans. In 2017, there were about twenty-eight million registered veterans in Russia, according to Russian Organization of Retired Veterans.
The numbers might be different today, especially after the pandemic that prematurely ended many lives throughout the world.
The war veterans, even in their old age, have different outlook on life, and pandemic is not an exception. Russian war veterans like Zinaida Korneva have been raising awareness, in Russia, about the frontline healthcare workers who have been dying due to COVID. Veterans like her stay active, against all odds, and raise funds to support the medical workers, in the midst of widespread despair and tragedy.
There are veterans, like Zinaida, who go out of their way to help others when their own circumstances are far from ideal.
Unfortunately, the majority of the war veterans cannot help themselves. Many of them lost homes and are in dire need of basic care and food.
It is quite hard to tell if the above number of the war veterans in Russia (28 million) is accurate. RBC.ru news Tele-Channel stated two years ago that the veterans that receive financial assistance from the Russian Ministry of Labor was about 1.28 million. Does it mean that almost 27 million of the veterans have not been receiving any governmental assistance?
In early 2019, Gellah Litvintseva (Eurasianet) estimated that there were about five million homeless people in Russia, based on the official data available to the Russian citizens.
There is no clear estimate as to how many veterans are homeless today in Russia.
However, just knowing how many veterans forced to live on the street may not be of real use. Helping one veteran at a time could change the situation, in Russia, in America, and anywhere.
Pandemic and Veterans in Los Angeles, California (USA)
About a year ago, Anna Scott (KCRW) reported that there were 66,433 homeless in Los Angeles (CA).
“The Tent City,” located at the fork of San Vicente & Wilshire boulevards, have expanded now onto the grounds of the Veterans Park. Here’s a short clip of what Santa Monica and Westwood residents see every day out of their car windows:
Ten months ago Los Angeles Magazine was reporting 3,902 homeless veterans in LA. The situation has hardly changed, and it is affecting human lives every day.
One of the war veterans who lives in the “Tent City” is Jimmy Zarindast.
He and his fiancé, Cat, posed for a picture, before Jimmy shared his personal story.
Jimmy introduced himself while Cat watched him with admiration. The couple has been planning to marry soon. Meanwhile, their life is full of challenges, caused by the COVID pandemic.
Jimmy shared how he lost his job and home.
And, in a brief moment, Jimmy also opened up about his father, Tony Zarindast, with sadness and pride in his voice that quickly changed to hopeful notes while talking about their plans to move to Portland (Oregon).
Jimmy & Cat stayed positive, despite the present circumstances. Not a single complain. There was just a hint of a concern about some health challenges that he hoped to take care of in the near future.
He sounded more functional that people who live off the San Vicente Blvd. Tent City.
It’s not easy for the veterans to stay positive. Some struggle and need help.
Soldiers Angels in Vancouver (WA) and Portland (OR)
There are some “dysfunctional” veterans in America, but there are many more Soldiers Angels (SA) who are there to be with them whenever possible.
American SA volunteers had been active before pandemic, and they are waiting until they could do what they’re good at — being with the war veterans, not leaving them alone, bringing joy and hope on their friendly and caring volunteer “wings.”
Sadly, during the pandemic, some veterans had to die alone, without a comforting presence of Soldiers Angels.
No one should die alone, especially the army veterans.
Even though the veterans do not like to be called Heroes (believing that the true heroes did not return home from the battleship), they truly are the heroes of our times. The SA volunteers understand that, and with that thought in mind they approach their daily services.
Soldiers Angels work with what is called the Portland VA system. The Portland VA system covers the area up to the Longview-Kelso (WA), and about half of Oregon. ~ Debbie Roper (Soldiers Angel, WA)
Debbie Roper has been Soldiers Angel for the past thirteen years. First, she “adopted soldiers” and sent them packages during their service, then she got involved locally, visiting the war veterans at the VA hospitals and organizing various events.
The Portland VA is the only VA this side of the Mississippi River that does kidney and liver transplants. The veterans, who have transplants stay at the Transplant/Oncology Lodge for a month or more, depending on how they are healing. Cancer patients stay at the Lodge as well.
The Portland VA is only 1 of 3 VAs in the US that has a trach unit. It accommodates the veterans who have to live on ventilators. Because of ventilators they are unable to talk. They have a computer screen with the alphabet and by looking at each letter they can put together words that they want to communicate. We were just starting to figure out how to do patient visits with them, when the Shut Down happened. ~ Debbie Roper
Debbie talked about a special friend of hers — Jean Combs — another Soldiers Angel.
Jean received the Presidential award for her volunteering for Soldiers Angels. In the picture above she’s wearing her ten-year-plus-one-year pin to honor her eleven years with Soldiers Angels.
They lost Jean last month. Debbie said, Jean would have been 80-years-old on July 2nd — the oldest SA and patient visitor.
Jean loved making cards for the veterans every month, helping twice a month with preparing dinners for the veterans going through residential drug & alcohol rehabilitation, and generously sharing her time and big heart with the patient veterans, in the VA system, and her teammates. Giving back is the second nature to these volunteers. They live up to their name. Angels indeed. Serving humbly and sincerely believing that their work is “the least they can do,” to repay for all sacrifices the war veterans made.
You go to give and you get back so much more. ~ Jean Combs
The cards made by the SA volunteers are given away to the veterans and their caretakers, as “Thank You” gifts and appreciation for the hard work in taking care of their loved ones.
Making cards is an important activity for the SA volunteers. They use them as appreciation gifts to encourage, and inspire and recognize the service of the veterans, their families, and friends. Soldiers Angels also make cards for the frontline workers that include all staff in the VA hospitals system. One volunteer — “Lou The Card Lady” — helped to make 24,000 cards in the past eighteen years of her service to the veterans! Thousands of visual expressions of deep appreciation of people whose service to their country must be always remembered. Don’t leave your war veterans alone.
May no soldier go unloved.
May no soldier walk alone.
May no soldier be forgotten.
Until they all come home.
