Veterans Day: Honoring Those Who Keep Us Free
Today is a day that we remember all veterans, men and women, who have kept America safe during times of war. Being a U.S. citizen, I have enjoyed the stories from some of these times of war, from grandparents, uncles and cousins who found ways to honor their country through their actions. All the while being displaced, so far from their families and loved ones.
To some, Veterans Day has become an inconvenience—a day when banks are closed, there is no way to enter a post office and no one available to watch their children who have been dismissed from school for the day—but to many, it is a day of recognition, salutes, services and a trip to the cemetery to mark the graves of our brave American soldiers. It is important as an American citizen to get everyone involved in honoring these fine men and women, as war is a reality for our country even now, and living our daily lives so far from our soldiers can easily make us lose sight of their efforts.
One particular way that Americans have celebrated the spirit of Veterans Days is by educating school children on the value of military service. Larry Ell, Staff Writer for the Daily Commercial in Leesburg, Florida, writes about how a school invited 30 local war veterans to interact with students by discussing their wartime experiences at Carver Middle School. History teacher Keith Hyndshaw organized an event called “Take a Veteran to School”, which took place at the Florida school yesterday to give school students a reminder of why they wouldn’t be in school the following day.
“The kids know they have Veterans Day off, but the don’t know why the have it off, “ Hyndshaw commented. I think it’s an important enough holiday that they should understand the sacrifices that these men and women made.”
The classrooms hosted vets from all military branches for question and answer sessions about their wartime experiences. When Vietnam vet John Evans was asked about his memories of boot camp he replied, “It was quite an experience. I was kind of arrogant and they changed that real quick.”
The four-hour event allowed the visiting veterans to share old memories, shorten the communication gap between generations and to create awareness for the students at Carver Middle School. Conversations also included educational discussions on how the military can help students with college and how there is a sense of brotherhood encouraged by the military. One Korean War vet, Harold Sievers, even brought up a little trivia—that it was actually President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a former military serviceman, who added the words “under God” to the Pledge of the Allegiance.
Although four hours isn’t enough time to cover all the aspects of war and how it affects Veterans, military personal and their families, students learned a profound lesson on remembering our Veterans of War:
“You should always honor the veterans,” Evans said. “They’re the ones who keep us all free.”
So in the spirit of Veterans Day and through the inspiration of Carver Middle School, why not get everyone involved? Find a local memorial service, visit the grave of a family member who served the country, learn how to fold a flag and practice with your little ones, or visit a Website to print off coloring pages to honor the day. And remember, it is never too soon to teach our children the importance of honoring their country, thanking veterans for centuries of safety, and appreciating the freedom we take advantage of in our day-to-day lives.
About the Author
Lorri Berry is a freelance writer. She has BSJ in Advertising from Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism at WVU in the US. Lorri's experience includes advertising account management, campaign concept development, copywriting and news editorial. She is the mother of three boys and a work at home mom. You can contact Lorri at lberry [at] pamil-visions [dot] net or follow her on Twitter.
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Maybe if Aristotle is still existing...he will scold and tell to Hawking that his concept is totally illogical!
“Because there is ...
Ms. Lica,
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I read a news God was not the Creator: Hawking published in The Times of India/ Ishwar nei nahin banayee ...
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