Past their prime? – Why Germany's veterans finally deserve recognition

On 15 June 2025, the time will have come: Germany will celebrate its first National Veterans Day. What has long been taken for granted in countries such as the United States, France and the United Kingdom was not an issue in this country for a long time. Soldiers who risked their lives on foreign missions often remained invisible – with their stories, their traumas, their needs. But that is now set to change.

A society between silence and recognition

The hr podcast episode „The day. One topic, many perspectives.“ entitled „Out of service – Germany honours its veterans“ sheds light on this change and asks: How do we treat people in Germany who have served abroad in uniform? Do they deserve more than a simple „thank you“?

There is general agreement that veterans have long been neglected. Many struggle with mental or physical injuries after returning home – and often with bureaucratic hurdles as well. Society looks the other way. Until now.

Veterans Day – symbol or danger?

A planned annual Veterans' Day is now intended to send a message. But is that enough? Or even too much?

Supporter Patrick Sensburg from the Association of Reservists speaks of long-overdue recognition. A Veterans' Day could send an important social signal – comparable to commemorative days for other services to society.

Critic As retired Lieutenant Colonel Jürgen Rose from Darmstädter Signal warns, there is a danger of romanticising the military. Such a day should not be allowed to degenerate into a patriotic event.

Wounded souls – an invisible front

Annika Schröder, a former medic in the German Armed Forces, rescued dead and injured comrades amid a hail of bullets on 2 April 2010 during what is now known as the Good Friday battle, when German troops came under fire in Afghanistan. When she returned to Germany, she was physically unharmed, but her soul was not. Suspicion of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This marked the beginning of a battle against the authorities and the Bundeswehr bureaucracy long after the Good Friday battle.

Frank Eggen, Chairman of the „Angriff auf die Seele e. V.“, talks about how many Bundeswehr soldiers are affected by such stress. In most cases, it is not only the person affected whose life is impacted by the stress. Their partners and even their children can also suffer. This is also the subject of a series of short films that the association has produced in collaboration with the agency C3 Creative Code and Content GmbH, with a further instalment being added this month.

First Lieutenant Niklas Karius, participant in the Invictus Games, shows another side: sport as a bridge back to life. This is also part of the picture of German veterans – not just trauma, but also resilience.

What remains?

Veterans Day is a step in the right direction. It brings to light what has long been hidden in the shadows. But true recognition requires more: faster assistance, better care and, above all, a change in society's mindset. VeteranInside, they are not just soldiersinside – they are people with stories, broken lives, hopes.

The podcast ends with a clear message: if you say „thank you“, you also have to listen. And act.