November 12, 2007
Veteran’s Day
Written by Shana in Jaunty PostHappy Veteran’s Day!
Okay, now be honest. Raise your hand if you knew it was Veteran’s Day.
Don’t feel bad. I didn’t know either until I was trying to think of topics for this blog and, in desperation, turned to This Day in History sites.
(FYI, on this day in 1946 The Exchange National Bank of Chicago, Illinois, instituted the first drive in banking service in America, and in 1927 Josef Stalin took full control of the Soviet Union, expelling Leon Trotsky from the Communist Party.)
So what does Veteran’s Day mean to you? If you’re in the military or related to someone in the armed forces, it probably means a lot to you. If you’re like most Americans, Veteran’s Day probably means very little to you. I mean, most of us don’t even get the day off work.
I think that’s sad.
Don’t worry. This isn’t going to be a political statement. I don’t think it’s political to say that no matter your feelings on the situation in Iraq or Afghanistan, the wars in Vietnam or Korea, or World War II, all Americans should honor the sacrifices our soldiers made and make to protect our country.
And it’s not just soldiers who make the sacrifices. Their wives, husbands, children, parents, and grandparents sacrifice too.
There have been so many times since September 11, 2001 that I’ve thanked God Ultimate Sportsfan wasn’t called to be a soldier. I don’t know how our marriage would survive so much separation and life-threatening uncertainty.
Sadly, many military marriages don’t survive.
So this Veteran’s Day, I hope everyone takes a moment to reflect on what this day means and why we celebrate it.
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AndreaW Says:
*raises hand*
My grandfather is a veteran of WWII, so Veteran’s Day definitely has meaning to me.
Happy Veteran’s Day, everyone!
Rainy Says:
Thanks for making a note to remind us of the importance of this day, Shana.
You’re right. So many of us do not stop and think of the sacrifice these veterans have made. It’s a day off from work, a great day for sales or a local parade.
On the Today Show somebody mentioned that the majority of homeless in America are Veterans. Just think about that for a minute.
My father passed away this summer. He was a Merchant Marine in WW II. Since he never spoke much about it, I didn’t know a lot about this branch of service, but found out later that the Merchant Marines suffered the highest rate of casualties, more than any other service in the war. And yet, they were pretty much brushed to the side and not given the respect due to them or any veteran benefits (some benefits have been recently given to them). His ship, a hospital ship, suffered a bout of meningitis and almost every sailor on board died. My father survived because they used newly invented penincillin.
There are so many wounded, physically and emotionally, veterans in America and I am with you, Shana. We should all take some time today and thank our soldiers and veterans for their sacrifice.
Dorothy Says:
I come from a family full of military people. I was even married to a military man, and you’re correct, the marriage didn’t survive. So Veteran’s Day is an important day in my family. We also have alot of teachers in my family. So when I saw this somewhere it struck a cord with me. ‘If you can read this, thank a Teacher. If you’re reading it in English, thank a Vet.’
Karen H in NC Says:
I know what Veteran’s Day means..back to when is was called Armistice Day and before prayer was removed from schools. We always had a moment of silence in school on that day.
But, most importantly (IMHO)…it’s my birthday! The only time it bummed me out was on my 16th birthday and because the government offices were closed that day, I had to wait an extra day to get my driver’s license.
Shana Galen Says:
Thanks for all the comments, ladies. I hope you’ll pass on our sentiments to any veterans you know.
Taryn Raye Says:
My grandfather was in WWII. Veteran’s Day means something to me(albeit I’m a day late on this comment).
When I think of our Veterans, I like to turn to music that has been written about our military-
Arlington by Trace Adkins
Courtesy of the Red White and Blue and American Soldier by Toby Keith
Letters from Home by John Micheal Montgomery
the list could go on-
Here’s something I found over the weekend- which grabbed at my heart and made me even more appreciative of what our military does for us-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaGmeFhqEpk
If the link doesn’t work, look up 18 Video Tapes on YouTube. It’s a beautiful tribute to the families and lost loved ones.
Kay Says:
My Dad was a WWII vet and this day always was important to us. I have to disagree with your thought that Veterans Day means little to “most” Americans. Most Americans honor vets on this day. I’ve lived in Pa., Georgia, Florida and Washington.. and in every city and small town, Veterans Day is celebrated. Perhaps more so in small towns, because the service members are known to all. The only place where Veterans Day was an “afterthought” was in very big cities.