In Honor of Our Men

To a lot of people Veteran’s Day is just another holiday. It’s a day that restaurants give out free meals to those who have served. A day when your town’s newspaper will have a front page story recognizing a local member of the military. When the Sunday before the preacher ask for all those who have served and are serving to stand for recognition. But to a lot of people Veteran’s Day is another holiday to be exempt from work and a day for kids to be out of school. Most people, I believe, don’t realize the importance of this honorable holiday.

However, I will tell you who does understand the depth of this day. The men and women who have served. Those that have sacrificed years of their lives, putting them at risk all for the sake of the strangers living in this free nation. The people who recognize the true meaning of honoring our veterans are the families who have dealt with the unknown and heartbreak of having a loved one serving. More than anything I want people, everyone, to come to a full grasp of what this holiday truly about. That it’s not just a free day to sleep in, hang out with friends, or fire something up on the grill. It’s a day to appreciate the sacrifices of those who have served.

The Great War, otherwise known as World War I, officially ended with the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919. However, seven months prior the fighting had ceased when a temporary cessation of hostilities between the Allied Nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Therefore, November 11, 1918 is regarded, generally, as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

The following November, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first Armistice Day. His statement reads: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”

On May 13, 1938 November 11 became recognized as a legal holiday that would be dedicated to recognize world peace. Originally Armistice Day was designated to honor veterans of WWI, but WWII changed that. On June 1, 1954 Armistice Day was changed to Veteran’s Day so that all veterans could be recognized.

During WWI there were 116,516 killed serving in the United States military. The number wounded: 204,002 and those who were prisoners or missing added up to 4,500. Of WWII 416,800 U.S. military deaths. In more recent wars: Iraq War 4,488 U.S. serving and War on Terror (currently still going on) 6,717 deaths of U.S. military.

 

Not only do the men and women serving risk their very lives as they engage in combat, they also put their emotional and psychological lives at risk. Many of those who have served – in any war – suffer from PTSD. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a very serious ailment. Men and women alike return home to be plagued with nightmares, tremors, anxiety, social impairments, and anger issues. I have witnessed some of these things at first hand. Those of us who have not served – us civilians – can never comprehend the horror that our men and women have seen.  

The stories – if our veterans ever open up to share – are horrific and emotional. After hearing some of the things that my friends and family members have witnessed during their time serving, I personally can no longer sit and watch a military film. Before movies like, Saving Private Ryan, Pearl Harbor, and Black Hawk Down didn’t bother me. Now, if I ever attempt to watch one, all I can picture is my brother and friends in the roles of those serving and it brings tears to my eyes. I can’t imagine what was like for them as they were literally counting what they believed to be their last seconds as they stared down the barrel of the gun or awaited for the next IED to go off.

Veteran’s Day is indeed a day to honor those who have served in our armed forces, whether it be the Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, or the Coast Guard. Our men and women deserve our respect and gratitude for their willingness to sacrifice their safety and time where we have not. In remembrance of the day set aside to honor those who have served and are serving I challenge you to find a veteran, shake their hand, look them straight in the eye, and with a sincere heart tell them thank you.