As a fairly new military spouse of more than six years, I have recently gained a much deeper appreciation for a national American holiday that deserves much more attention than it seems to be receiving nearly 100 years after it was started – Veteran’s Day.
It was on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918 that an armistice or halt to the fighting between Germany and the Allied nations occurred to mark the unofficial end of World War I. A year later President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of “Armistice Day.”
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the original concept for that first celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11 a.m. An Act approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November a legal holiday known as “Armistice Day.” But after our country suffered even greater sacrifices in World War II and Korea, the Act of 1938 was amended on June 1,1954 by replacing the word “Armistice” with the word “Veterans” and November 11th officially became a day to honor our veteran heroes of all wars.
My husband, Staff Sgt. Justin Smith, serves in the Army Special Operations Aviation Regiment. I now have a better understanding of why military members like him appreciate Veterans Day differently than civilians.
“To me Veterans Day is a day to remember the sacrifice service members and their families make and those who did not make it home, as well as to honor those who continue to fight the fight,” he says. “It is about the blood, sweat and tears that come with serving this nation.”
In addition to being an Army wife, I also have the great privilege to manage the Hero Ambassador program for the Texas-based national military non-profit Boot Campaign, where I have the honor of interacting closely with veteran and current military volunteers from all branches of service who are dedicated to continually helping their fellow comrades and families on and off the battlefield.
The tremendous sacrifices these brave men and women have experienced in defense of our freedom and American way of life is immeasurable, and one day out of 365 to honor our heroes just does not seem like recognition enough. When you hear a veteran talk about Veterans Day in their own words, you can really feel the impact their service has had in their lives.
Among those Boot Campaign Hero Ambassadors who I work with is race car driver and entrepreneur Mark Llano (Wellington, Fla.), a U.S. Marine Corps and Gulf War veteran, who continues to serve veterans and their families in his own businesses and as a member of Boot Campaign’s Board of Directors. He believes this holiday is all about honoring our patriots.
“The first thing I think of on Veterans Day are my military brothers and sisters,” reflects Llano. “Thomas Jefferson once said that, ‘The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.’ And we have known that tree, every single one of us, from the Revolutionary War to World War II to today’s engagements in the Middle East. We have all known men and women; patriots, who gave their lives so that others could live free. I think of them and thank God that I live in a country that produced the greatest people I have ever had the honor of knowing. Every Veterans Day, I bow my head in reverence and honor their legacy of freedom and sacrifice.”
Hero Ambassador and U.S. Marine veteran Liam Dwyer (Tamarac, Fla.) reminds us that service members have an extraordinary order of priorities they all live by, significantly different from most civilians.
“Veterans know that country comes first, then your family,” explains Dwyer. “Because of that, many of us have missed the birth of a child, first steps, first words, birthdays, graduations and a significant portion of our family’s lives. To me, Veterans Day is to thank those who chose to say, my country’s freedom and safety comes before my own family.”
According to Hero Ambassador and U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander (Ret.) Christopher Auger (Virginia Beach, Va.), this national holiday serves as an opportunity to recognize even more than those deserving veterans.
“Veterans Day to me is a recognition and a celebration of all the men, women and families that have sacrificed and endured separation, challenging times and the worst kind of the unknown,” says Auger. “It’s an honoring of the selflessness and service of a few for the many.”
There’s no question veterans have a unique perspective on this special day, the kind of viewpoint that should make all Americans proud, like that of Hero Ambassador and Sergeant First Class Michael D. Hardgrove Jr. (Arlington, Va.), U.S. Army.
“To me Veteran’s Day is about reflection; thinking about and remembering the things I’ve done and seen and the brothers who were with me,” Hardgrove confides. “I reflect on my service and what it means to serve 12 years later. I think of my brothers and sisters who are holding the watch, make a toast to them, and try to spend the day enjoying the freedoms they provide us with the ones I love.”
It is words like these that remind me how lucky we are to live in the country we do. I now look at Veterans Day as a day to take a moment in time to simply honor those who heeded the call and selflessly served our great nation. It is because of these men and women that I am able to enjoy the freedoms and rights that I have as a U.S. citizen.
So on every day you can, especially on November 11, remember to offer your hand to a veteran and sincerely thank them for their service. It’s the least we can do for those courageous few who have sacrificed so much for all of us.
By Jaime Smith
Boot Campaign
If you feel so inspired, also reach into your pocket for a donation or become a volunteer in support of Boot Campaign (www.bootcampaign.org). The national 501(c)(3) charitable organization is dedicated to promoting patriotism for America and our military community; raising awareness of the unique challenges service members face during and post-service; and providing assistance to military personnel, past and present, and their families.
