WHAT DOES VETERANS DAY MEAN TO ME

What does Veterans Day mean to me?

By Carol Beard

               Growing up in a military family you’d think that I would have grown up with a deep appreciation for Veterans Day.  My father is a veteran, several of my uncles are veterans, and several of my older cousins served in the military.  So, it’s a fair guess to say that I should have really understood Veterans Day.  But, I didn’t.

               I started to understand Veterans Day when I was in high school and was learning about the history of it.  How it was originally Armistice Day and ended WWI, how it was a chance to honor those who had served and were still serving; these things I learned in school.  I also learned that I had to march in parades for band all over the region for Veterans Day.

               But, I didn’t begin to understand Veterans Day on a personal level until I had served in the military myself.  During my tenure in the Navy, Veterans Day was a very nice day off most years if I wasn’t out to sea.  However, the day didn’t mean much to me until later on.  That changed when I took the uniform off for the last time and donned the mantle of “veteran” myself.

               While Veterans Day still means time off from work, it now means more to me on a personal level than it did before.  I identify myself as a veteran and take pride in the service I gave to protecting my country.  Veterans Day has become “my day” where I can share my pride of service with others.  It is also the day that I can help others understand that those who serve come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.  Veterans Day has become to me a day of reflection on my service time and a chance to thank my brother’s and sister’s in arms for their service as well.

               Veterans Day still involves parades, though I don’t march in them anymore.  It’s still about remembrance and thanks for service rendered to the country by those, like me, who are here to accept the appreciation of a nation.   But, most importantly to me Veterans Day means a celebration of selflessness.  Veterans Day to me means that my sacrifices while I served are acknowledged and appreciated.