Honoring America’s veterans

>> joseph carnes goodwin is a member of that post-9/11 generation that served in iraq and afghanistan and joins me now from boston. joe, great to see you. tell me about what made you want to serve and you did two tours, i think?

>> that's right. one in iraq and one in afghanistan .

>> and one in afghanistan . you, obviously, we've known for you for a long time. your parents, doris kearns goodwin , and your father, of course, are well known to many of us. but you were unusual coming out of harvard. what about your -- the men and women with whom you served and how they are readjusting to life back home.

>> absolutely. i think there's no doubt that the six years on active duty , over the course of eight that i spent in the army was incredibly valuable. i got a lot more out of it than i put in, because i got to serve with a group of men and women whose dedication to duty, honor, and country, their dedication was so inspiring. and i think there has been a trough transition for a lot of people coming home from these conflicts. you know, it's not just sort of the things you have to see or the actions you have to take, but it's also the fact that while you're in the army, you're part of this incredible organization, where people have worked for a common purpose , share a common language , and then all of a sudden, you get back home and you have nothing around you that really knows how to make, understand that. and so, like, for instance, when i went to afghanistan , i was in kabul, afghanistan one day, and concord, massachusetts, the next. that's a pretty jarring transition. but i do think that there is a realization right now among a lot of people, both civilian and military, that we need to make sure that we're servicing our veterans. not only making sure they're supported while they're overseas, but also servicing is them when they come home as well.

>> a very important lesson on veterans day and every day. it's great to see you home safe and sound, and the lessons that we've learned from you are very, very important. thank you.

>> well thank you very much. it was my honor to serve and my privilege to be on your show today.

>> well, the honor is all