Veteran’s Day is coming up soon and most people are looking forward to it because they get a day off. For them, it’s just a convenient three day weekend amidst their busy lives. But to veterans or those who have family in the military, it means something much different. Veteran’s Day should not be just a day where we can sleep in or go on vacation but should instead be to remind us all of how much our veterans have sacrificed for this country.
A veteran is anyone who is serving or has served in the military. They are someone who has dedicated a portion of their life to protecting this country’s freedom. They are someone who sacrificed spending time with their family on holidays so that you can spend the holidays with yours.
Growing up as a military child, my family had a much different view of Veteran’s Day than the rest of the general public. Most people didn’t appreciate the holiday like we did in my family. We knew that it was more than just a day off. There have been Veteran’s Days where we didn’t even get to spend them with my dad because he was deployed. We had a different perspective.
To me, Veteran’s Day is a day that we honor those who have made sacrifices or gave their life for this country so that we can live freely. To me, it was my dad being gone for my birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. To me, it was skyping with my dad late at night because the time zones were extremely different, but we had to make it work. To me, it was following him around the country without question. To me, it was my whole family crying in the airport, watching him leave and not knowing if he was actually going to come back. To me, it was “Welcome home, Dad” posters. To me, it was goose bumps when the national anthem played. To me, it was thunderjets breaking the sound barrier over my home each day. To me, it held a deeper meaning.
So I asked other veterans what the day meant to them, and here is what they said:
“It is a day to reflect on those that have paid the ultimate price. Veterans Day is a day to appreciate those that secure a country we are so lucky to live in,” said one veteran.
“It means honoring those who have served to protect our nation,” another veteran states.
“When I think of Veteran’s Day, I don’t just see a sole military person anymore. I also see that veteran’s family in my mind, and all the sacrifices they have made to support their military member. Too many times we forget about the family’s military service and sacrifice; it takes a whole team to serve our country,” said the last veteran I interviewed.
So this Veteran’s Day, think about why you have the day off.
HC xoxo,
Alyssa Harmon