Let's Honor Vets Every Day, Not Just Veteran's Day

We usually consider any person that has served, or is serving, in the armed forces a veteran and this day is set aside to honor them.

A bit of history on Veteran’s Day: Our celebration of Veteran’s Day came about at the end of World War I. The armistice between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. I hadn’t known that and it’s kinda’ cool. Because of this, we celebrate our nation’s veterans on 11/11 (as of 1918). It was originally called Armistice Day and became known as Veterans Day after World War II.

This particular Veteran’s Day really made me think. Given that we just held a presidential election and our leaders are responsible for making those hard decisions governing our military, it made me wonder how this will affect our armed forces. I cannot imagine the level of trust that they must have in our government to follow orders that they are given regardless of how they feel individually, regardless of their opinions, their backgrounds, or their beliefs.

This is an expectation of them, not a choice. They are mandated to follow orders. This goes all the way up the line, all the way to our president. We have to all trust that this responsibility is given the grave importance and careful consideration that it deserves when decisions are made on their behalf. No matter what choices are made that are out of our own control, our veterans deserve the best from each and every one of us.

In watching the protests on the streets over this past year and the turmoil throughout the world, it made me realize how much we take for granted and the many jobs that they have. Many of us don’t think twice about feeling safe in this world because we’re counting on our armed forces to do their job. We assume they are out there keeping us safe while we sleep.

I would like to think that we give more thought and consideration to our veterans on a regular basis and not just this one day a year but Veteran's Day is, at the very least, a good opportunity to step up our game in this area. I know that there are several discounts that are offered to the military on a regular basis from various businesses and organizations, and I hope that many more consider doing this, but there are quite a few additional ones being offered on and around Veteran’s Day. I sure hope that many of our military can take advantage of these.

On an individual basis, we can do our own part in honoring them. We can show them the monumental respect that each and every one of them deserves. We can say thank you when we see a veteran, we can buy them a drink or a meal or we can contribute time, clothing, supplies, or cash to a veteran’s charity. Most of all, though, we can each say a prayer for them in whatever form that may be for those that are still active, for those who have served their time, for those recovering, and for those whom we have lost.

I cannot express enough the respect and the gratitude that I feel for our veterans. We owe each and every one of them a very big THANK YOU!

You can find more of Debbie's articles and insights about life, health, and happiness at My Ordinary Life and on Facebook.

Submitted by Debbie B.