Veterans are not having an easy time these days. D.C. politicians will loudly trumpet support of vets, but then consistently vote against veterans’ rights. And when U.S. troops were fighting fascists in various wars, they were saluted, but recently the term antifa — or anti-fascist — has become a bone of contention.

But with Veterans Day coming up, let’s concentrate on the positive.

Hollywood has created some classic films about military veterans readjusting to civilian life, including The Best Years of Our Lives (1946, which won two Globes: Best picture and a special award to actor Harold Russell); Coming Home (1978, six noms with both Jane Fonda and Jon Voight winning); and  Born on the Fourth of July (1989), which won four of its six Globes nominations, including best drama.

Several other films addressed homecomings: The Deer Hunter (1978, winning Michael Cimino as best director out of six nominations); The Messenger (2008, a supporting nomination for Woody Harrelson); the great but underrated Thank You for Your Service (2017), from director-cowriter Jason Hall; Richard Linklater’s Last Flag Flying (2017); and Peter Jackson’s devastating 2018 documentary They Shall Not Grow Old, about World War I soldiers, from enlistment to their return home.

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957, winning for best drama, Alec Guinness and David Lean) was set in a POW camp but most other Golden Globe-winning films about the military take place on the battlefield, including Patton (1970, with George C. Scott winning out of the films’ three nominations), Platoon (1986, winner of three awards including best drama), Full Metal Jacket (1987, with R. Lee Ermey nominated), Saving Private Ryan (5 noms, winning for best drama and for director Steven Spielberg), and 1917 (3 noms, winning for best drama and director Sam Mendes).

On the TV side, MASH is the clear victor, nominated for 22 Golden Globes and winning eight of them. Though Hollywood avoided depictions of the Vietnam conflict until the late 1980s, TV offered two great ones: Tour of Duty (1987-90), and China Beach, voted best drama series of 1989.

Popular with viewers, but not Globes voters were such military-themed series as Gomer Pyle, Hogan’s Heroes, JAG, Major Dad, McHale’s Navy, NCIS, the Phil Silvers Show (aka Sergeant Bilko or You’ll Never Get Rich),Four members of “The A-Team” were military vets who used their military skills to battle injustice in the world. But their reputations are long-lasting, thanks to fond memories and YouTube.

And fond memories are the key to Veterans Day. Nov. 11 was once called Armistice Day, to commemorate the peace signing that ended World War I in 1918 at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

The name was changed from Armistice Day to Veterans Day at the urging of major U.S. veteran organizations in 1954. (Some countries observe Remembrance Day.)