Perhaps the best place to start is the definition of veteran.
Merriam-Webster defines it as this:
vet·er·an
noun \ˈve-tə-rən, ˈve-trən\
: someone who fought in a war as a soldier, sailor, etc.
Therefore I think that Veteran's Day should be a day in which we thank men and women who have served our country in this way. There is not any possibility that you understand what these brave people have sacrificed, lived through, and seen unless you are one of them. They signed on a line to sacrifice their lives. If they were lucky enough to come home you can bet it wasn't whole. The mental impact of war is something that can't be left on the field of battle. It haunts. It steals. It lies. It lingers. One day a year these souls get for recognition, which is probably enough to them because they didn't sign on that line for the praise, but it's never enough to show our gratitude.
So hear me when I say that tomorrow is not a day for furniture sales. It's not a day to take off from work and sleep in. It's not a free day to do as you please. It's a day to recognize and thank the men and women who laid their lives on the line so that you are free to do all of those things that you enjoy. Take the time to say thank you to a Veteran tomorrow. Take the time to listen to what they have to say. And when Tuesday dawns don't forget that those who've served exist. There are plenty of ways to say thank you and show gratitude 365 days a year. Because that's what they have given to us. EVERY DAY.
One way to start is here:
Let me start by saying publicly to every Veteran reading,
Thank you for your service. Thank you for seeing the things you saw and doing the things that you did so that I, and thousands like me, didn't have to. I know my freedom comes at a cost and I am eternally grateful to each and every one of you.
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