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Veteran,
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veteran (from
Latin vetus, meaning "old") is a person who is experienced in a particular area, and is particularly used to refer to people in the
armed forces. It often refers to retired service personnel. A veteran is one who has served in the armed forces and has an honorable discharge; a common misconception is that one has either been in combat and/or is retired from active duty to be called a veteran. Because of this widely held misconception,
women have often been excluded from this equation. Each state (of the United States) sets specific criteria for state specific veterans benefits. For medical benefits from the (United States) VA (Veterans Administration) hospitals, prior to Sept. 7, 1980 the veteran must have served at least 180 days of active duty, after the above mentioned date the veteran must have served at least 24 months. However, if the veteran was medically discharged and receives a VA service connection disability the time limits are not applicable.
For most of history, states (nations) did not have any fixed standing army. Almost all warriors were farmers for the bulk of the year and thus had a secondary occupation to support them during times of peace. The first state to face significant veterans affairs problems was the
Roman Empire whose professional army of career soldiers needed some new role when they retired. They were usually given land in the newly conquered lands, and the need for such lands motivated the empire's expansion. They could also voluntarily enlist again at the invitation of the
consul or other commander as
evocati.
thumb|200px|A Union Veteran and a Confederate Veteran of the [American Civil War, in 1913.]
Beyond giving veterans free or discounted lands in
colonies, governments did little about them. There was little or no aid for veterans suffering mental or physical disabilities and those wounded in war often had to turn to begging or crime.
The treatment of veterans changed after the
First World War. In the years following, discontented veterans became a source of instability. They could quickly organize, had links to the army, and often had arms themselves. Veterans played a central role in the post-World War I instability of
Germany, while in the
United States the
Bonus Army of unemployed veterans was one of the most important protest movements of the
Great Depression.
After the
Second World War, in part due to the experience of the First World War, most of the participating states set up elaborate veterans administrations. These gave veterans access to free or subsidized education and health care. The explosion of the
suburbs created sufficient housing for veterans and their families. In the United States, Black veterans continued to be denied equality, and they played a central role in the
Civil Rights movement.
For the most part, veterans are treated with great respect in society. In France, for instance, those wounded in war are given the first claim on any seat on
public transit
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