On Veteran's Day, the least I can do is smile and say, "Thank you, for serving our country."

Veteran's Day is today and many of us have lost veterans, but Veteran's Day is not a day to mourn. It's a day to celebrate those who served our country. On Veteran's Day, cities all over the world offer public ceremonies in honor of our veterans. Sitting through one of these events helps us appreciate the sacrifices our veterans made and continue to make for our country. If you wish to know more about Veteran's Day activities in your city, contact your local Chamber of Commerce or just do a quick search on the Internet. Your attendance is never required at one of these events, but if you attend once, you'll do it again and again.


I attended my first Veteran's Day ceremony just two years ago and still wonder why I didn't attend such an event much earlier. I have a brother who is a veteran, a nephew who is a veteran, my father was a veteran, most of my uncles were veterans, and I lost a brother in the military two months after his 21st birthday. He was a Vietnam veteran. As for me,  I signed up to serve in the Air Force, but when I was informed I needed to legally transfer custody of my two children, I walked out of the recruiter's office without signing on the dotted line. I often dream of the opportunity I lost, but I have volunteered for Americorps, the national corporation of community service, and I volunteer to assist with community events whenever possible.

If our veterans can give their lives for this country, suffer emotional and physical disabilities that last a lifetime, sacrifice family, and endure unimaginable hardships for the sake of this country and the world, the least I can do is honor them on this special day. If I can attend a Veteran's Day ceremony, I will, but the least I can do is smile and say, "Hello. Thank you for serving our country."

History of Veterans Day

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

Soldiers of the 353rd Infantry near a church at Stenay, Meuse in France, wait for the end of hostilities. This photo was taken at 10:58 a.m., on November 11, 1918, two minutes before the armistice ending World War I went into effect

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

The information above was retrieved from http://www.va.gov. Consult the website to read the article in its entirety. http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp