Veterns day is one of the most recognizable days in America that everyone should acknowledge.
There are a lot of people who have loved ones who served and some that have not, but what we all have in common is that we all have and should show respect towards all veterans during this Veterans Day. An example of a student who has veterans that they know personally is eighth grade student Dorthy Buckner. She has two grandpas, who were involved in the military.
“I have a grandpa from my moms side who served in World War II and flew helicopters, and I have a grandpa from my dads side who was a doctor and would help injured people,” says Buckner ‘29.
There are a lot of people who do not have any veterans that they know of personally. However, we should all have respect for what our veterans have done for our country. There are many people in our community who agree with this, like eighth grade student Nisah Hathiari.
“When I was younger I didn’t really understand Veterans Day that well because I come from an immigrant family and we were not too familiar with that, but as I aged I started developing more of a respect for America’s past, and this continued after I started meeting war veterans and learning what they have done for our country,” Nisah Hathiari ‘29.
Veterans Day can be very enjoyable, from its many events and people who speak about their daring memories serving for our county. Without the help of our veterans, our lives could have been very difficult. This is why we need to understand and admire those who fought courageously for us.
“I really appreciate those who fought for us because I have grandpas who fought for our country, so it’s very special to me,” Dorothy Buckner ‘29.
An abundant amount of people have veterans who they love and like to show gratitude to every Veterans Day, but Barstow students don’t think that should be our only connection to the holiday.
“I know that it is important to respect people who fought for our country because it is a big honor and responsibility to uphold, it doesn’t really matter if you have family or not,” emphasizes Buckner ‘29.
The word “veteran” can mean many things to a person. “It’s someone who fights for our rights and takes on responsibility to support our country,” says Buckner ‘29.
Others also recognize those who were not serving on the front lines, but supported war efforts in other ways.
“To me a veteran means someone who took on a role to protect us, I also think that this applies to women who worked in factories during this time, because they were also working to protect us,” explains Hathiari ‘29.
Though veterans have a day or recognition every year, we should not forget that they may need some assistance throughout the year. There are many ways that we could appreciate veterans throughout the year, not just on one day.
“Reaching out to our veterans and making cards to be sure that they are alright is something that we could do, because veterans can experience a lot of PTSD from their experiences,” notes Buckner ‘29.
Veterans Day is a day every year that we should show an immense amount of respect for those who sacrificed their lives to help us. Even if you have a family member who served or not we should all show appreciation towards them. Whether you make cards or reach out to a veteran that you know to check up on them, veterans have done so much for our country and we should be forever grateful.
