Veterans' Day (first celebrated as 'Armistice Day' in 1919 to commemorate the first anniversary of the end of World War I) falls on November 11th of every calendar year, at an almost-exact halfway point between Halloween and Thanksgiving. So why do we celebrate it, when we have memorial day in the spring?
Veterans' Day pays tribute to all veterans who have served in the armed forces-be they living or dead, but pays special attention on thanking living veterans for their service to our country.
Currently, there are about 17.3 living veterans in the United States, with 16.1 million having served during wartime and the remaining 5.2 million during peace. Veterans come in all shapes, sizes, colors, genders, sexualities, and backgrounds: so with that in mind, let's take a look at some quotes that remind us what it means to fight for your country.
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2."I saw courage both in the Vietnam War and in the struggle to stop it. I learned that patriotism includes protest, not just military service” -John F. Kerry
3."A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart." – Hercules
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5. "In valor there is hope." -Publius Cornelius Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a Senator and a historian during the middle period of the Roman Empire. His two major works (The Annals and the Histories) provide the most detailed accounts of the Empire's history from 14 AD-70 AD that are still surviving and available in modern times.
6.“We, the People, recognize that we have responsibilities as well as rights; that our destinies are bound together; that a freedom which only asks what’s in it for me, a freedom without a commitment to others, a freedom without love or charity or duty or patriotism, is unworthy of our founding ideals, and those who died in their defense” -Barack Obama
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8.“Patriotism is voluntary. It is a feeling of loyalty and allegiance that is the result of knowledge and belief. A patriot shows their their patriotism through their actions, by their choice” -Jesse Ventura
9.“This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” » Elmer Davis
Elmer Davis served as the director of the United States Office Of War Information during WWII under Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He actively opposed Japanese-American internment and lifted the ban on war-time censorship over journalism and photography.
10. "On this Veterans Day, let us remember the service of our veterans, and let us renew our national promise to fulfill our sacred obligations to our veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much so that we can live free." – Dan Lipinski
So take the time you can on November 11th to remember both those who have fallen and those who still live, who fought in the name of protection and the greater good. And if you are a veteran who happens to be reading this, we salute you. Happy Veterans' Day.
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