On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Veteran unemployment data for the month of November. The unemployment rate for all Veterans was 7.4 percent—still below the national average of 7.7 percent.  For post-9/11 veterans, the rate was 11.1 percent.  While there is more work to do, it is very clear that the unemployment rate among all Veterans—to include America’s newest Veterans—is headed in the right direction. The charts below help us see why.

In the first, we see the monthly unemployment rate for all Veterans since January 2010.  The trend over nearly three years is clearly downward.

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Between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, a somber day hangs on the calendar, where the entire nation pauses to remember a time when falling Japanese bombs on a Naval base in far-off Hawaii shattered American peace. It has been 71 years since that morning, but those memories—and President Roosevelt’s words after the attack—are still a part of our national conscience.

Over 2,300 troops lost their lives in the attack, most of them aboard the USS Arizona when it sank in the harbor. The folks who defended the base went on to help defeat the Axis powers all over the world.

But the tyranny of the clock is catching up with them; over 600 World War II Veterans pass away each day. We’re losing priceless history with every passing day.

So what can you do? Start by listening to their stories while they’re still with us. Every generation of Veterans can learn something from these men and women. Take the time to know the sights and sounds of the day of infamy. Read about how one Pearl Harbor survivor is helping to identify the dead. And check out video from that day to put images to these harrowing stories.

Later today, World War II Veterans will gather at the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC to place a wreath in memory of those who perished in the attacks at Pearl Harbor. They haven’t forgotten, and neither will we.

Earlier today, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta joined VA Secretary Eric Shinseki to discuss collaborative efforts underway at both agencies. Check out the highlights from Twitter below.

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When the National World War II Memorial opened to the public in 2004, Earl Morse, a VA employee and Air Force Veteran working in a clinic in Ohio, asked his World War II patients if they would make the trip to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorial in person.

Many said they would like to see it, but financial and health constraints kept many of them from making the long journey to Washington. Earl offered to fly a WWII Veteran out himself, and after a few successful trips, he created a network of private pilots that would do the same. The Honor Flight Network was born, and since then, 81,000 Veterans of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam have flown to Washington free of charge to visit the memorials built in their honor and memory.

It’s a race against time. Over 600 WWII Veterans pass away each day.

This year, these Veterans will be recognized in a special event on December 7—the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. World War II Veterans will visit their memorial and place a wreath there at 1:53 PM, the time the attack took place on December 7, 1941. At 4 PM, the Veterans will gather at the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall for a reception and dinner, followed by the screening of the documentary Honor Flight. Check out the trailer here.

Tickets to the film screening are free, so sign up now if you want to make it. The film begins at 6 PM at the DAR Constitution Hall, 1776 D St, NW, Washington, DC, 20006.

If you can’t make it, we’ll be on the ground to document the unforgettable experience.

For about two years, VA’s online communications team has been closely tracking the advertising and recruitment efforts of for-profit schools looking to bring in GI Bill tuition dollars. In some cases, these schools have ensnared Veterans looking for info by using official-looking websites, which funneled potential recruits to those schools without any balanced, objective information. We aimed to get the word out in order to help Veterans make the best decision possible.

This all came to a head earlier this year, when a group of state attorneys general led an effort to sue the company that owned GIBill.com, a particularly deceptive site. The company settled, and the website was turned over to VA and now redirects to our GI Bill page.

Today, VA announced the next step in the fight against misleading info campaign waged by schools after your hard-earned benefits. The term ‘GI Bill’ has been trademarked by VA with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. VA is the sole owner of the mark, and in the coming months, it will issue terms of use for the phrase. This move goes a long way to enforce accountability to those who would deceive student Veterans for financial gain.

Of course, with millions of dollars up for grabs, schools and marketing firms won’t lie down because of the trademark, so we’ll remain vigilant to ensure Veterans aren’t victims of deceptive recruitment when they decide to make the most out of their education benefits.

When I gashed open my ankle on a mountain biking accident last year, I limped into my local VA emergency room to get patched up. While I sat waiting to be called, a nurse approached me with a question.

“Have you received an HIV test recently?” she asked.

“Maybe last year,” I replied.

The nurse tore open a swab kit and instructed me to let it sit in my mouth for a few minutes. Within half an hour, she came back with results. Negative. It was a relief I didn’t know I wanted until she asked.

It’s World AIDS Day on December 1, and for too many people around the globe, the relief of knowing never comes. About 1.2 million Americans live with HIV, yet one out of five don’t know it. VA has ramped up its free HIV testing to reach as many Veterans as possible, but you can be part of a solution. Ask for the test next time you seek care, even if you don’t think you’re at risk. It never hurts to know.

Check out VA’s page on HIV/AIDS for testing information, treatment options, frequently asked questions, and more.

One of VA’s most important missions is also among its most challenging: ending Veteran homelessness once and for all. The goal has been set for the end of 2015, and the numbers seem to be heading in the right direction; last year, Veteran homelessness fell by 12 percent, thanks to an infusion of prevention services.

This isn’t an initiative that will succeed at just the federal level, but locally as well. Two recent stories highlight what can happen when all levels begin to meet mission.

The first, from the Rapid City Journal, details a VA program that intakes homeless Veterans and puts them to work at VA national cemeteries. The paid positions don’t just offer steady income, but something worth holding onto as Veterans work to lift themselves back up, as an Iraq Vet in the program described:

“It’s given me a sense of pride,” he said. “I was kind of blowing in the wind.” He also plans to continue to use the skill set at a job after the year is up, even if it means leaving the Black Hills.

“I love this program; I’m intent on doing this job,” Kurttila said.

The second article from The Washington Post helps illustrate how local organizations are making an impact despite challenges that can delay assistance, like proper identification for homeless Veterans:

This is a common problem for homeless people. “You need ID to get ID,” said Jan-Michael Sacharko, director of development for A-SPAN. “You have to establish you’re a resident of Arlington, which is a bit of an oxymoron — how do you establish you’re a homeless resident of Arlington?”

After many months, enough paperwork was collected to get Maas’s birth certificate from California.

Taken together, these articles show progress is hard fought and can be won, but challenges are still ahead to roll that counter down to zero.

If you’re a homeless Veteran or family member, or at risk of becoming homeless, please give our help line a call at 1-877-4AID-VET (1-877-424-3838), and visit our homeless Veteran site for more information on housing assistance, health care options, and more.

Hope you had a good Thanksgiving. This week’s roundup of Veterans news and resources:

The US Chamber of Commerce initiative, Hire Our Heroes, will debut online toolkits to help Veterans pinpoint growing job markets and find credible employers, among other features. In the meantime, check out their rolling list of hiring fairs across the country.

We often mention the Veterans Crisis Line and how it has saved lives, but this video really drives home the enormous effort from dedicated folks to staff the call centers day and night. And as always, the Crisis Line can be reached at 1-800-273-8255, online through chat, and now by text at 838255.

Even in an age of fiscal restraint, VA is in the midst of the biggest infrastructure improvement since the end of World War II. That means more hospitals, clinics, and technology to better serve Veterans.

We hear from a lot of Veterans about the disability claims process, and we get that it can be daunting. Our most popular post on this blog was a collection of tips and advice for filing a claim. Check it out if you’re about to begin the process.

We’re all about Veterans who leave the service and go on to lead successful lives. We profiled 12 of them for our portrait project Strong at the Broken Places—an effort to show the nation what resiliency looks like. The project is ongoing, so if you’d like to participate, drop us a line.

The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau has some words for mortgage lenders looking to mislead Veterans.

In a press release today, CFPB put about 12 mortgage lenders on notice for potentially misleading advertisements targeting older folks and Veterans. Additionally, six companies are under investigation for potentially more serious violations.

CFPB identified a number of problems with mortgage advertisements, like inaccurate interest rates and misrepresentation of government affiliations.

From the release:

Today’s actions stem from a joint “sweep,” a review conducted by the CFPB and the FTC of about 800 randomly selected mortgage-related ads across the country, including ads for mortgage loans, refinancing, and reverse mortgages.

Holly Petraeus, CFPB’s Assistant Director of Service Member Affairs, adds today:

Some advertisers will use your military or veteran status as a way to approach you, promising special deals or implying VA approval. Others will use the lure of a “no-payment” reverse mortgage to troll for older Americans desperate to find a way to stay in their home when they can no longer afford a mortgage payment.

The bottom line? Work directly with your bank to ensure a VA-backed loan works for you. Check out our previous entries on home loans for more information: here, here, and here. And to receive updates from the watchdogs at CFPB, follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Veterans Day observance was earlier this week, and I still see great pieces and articles flying around Facebook and Twitter. Here are a few you should check out:

• Veterans Day arrives as a celebration of service and sacrifice in uniform, but on the other 364 days, it can be difficult to sort out the sensational news reports about Veterans to find an accurate and balanced portrayal. That’s why we launched Strong at the Broken Places—a project that gives a more complete picture of the challenges Veterans face, and the resiliency they have shown to lead successful lives. Check out 12 Vets who have made in impact after their service and if you or a Vet you know would like to be featured on the site, email us.
• VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, himself a Vietnam Vet, gave heartfelt remarks to the crowd at the Vietnam Veteran Memorial in Washington, DC on Veterans Day. Assistant Secretary Tommy Sowers also offered his thoughts on the day. Check out photos from the wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and photos from the Secretary’s visit to the Wall here.
• Ever since Hurricane Sandy receded, the Veterans at Team Rubicon and The Mission Continues have been hard at work clearing debris and distributing aid to folks displaced in New York and New Jersey. And they didn’t let up on Veterans Day either. Check out their vital work here, and for more information on Team Rubicon, read a good primer from the founders we posted last week, on how Vets have found more ways to serve again.
• We’ve been investing in Veterans care and resources over the last few years, and we’ll continue to ensure we meet the obligation we have to care for Veterans. VA Deputy Secretary W. Scott Gould breaks it down.
• On November 14, VA Assistant Secretary Dr. Tommy Sowers presented the Presidential Memorial Certificate to Mary Stone, widow of Medal of Honor recipient Col. James L. Stone, who was buried at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. Check out video from the event.