Michael Thomas: "My Personal Salute to America's Veterans"
As every year passes, so too do the holidays, and with little thought or consideration in my household. With no strong ties to cultural influence or tradition, I languidly squander most holidays with no thought as to what the day given represents. However, my perspective on a particular national day of respect changed for the better my junior year of high school.
Sitting in my A.P. United States History class the weekend before Veterans Day, the only thought in my mind was how I would spend the upcoming extended weekend. An additional day to sleep seemed like the perfect prescription for what had been a busy and tiring week in school. As the minutes passed by my teacher lectured concerning the lesson at hand, while I tried my best to pay attention as time appeared slower with each tick of the clock. The last class before the end of the school day, and it was the only thing standing in between me and the outside world. However, unexpectedly the teacher halted the lecture at ten minutes prior to the bell ringing in order to give a special message concerning the upcoming holiday. I readjusted myself in my seat and attentively listened to his words for the remaining time. Little did I know that the next ten minutes would be the small amount of time it would take to change my entire mind set on the particular subject. As a man who had been drafted into the military, I understood my teacher’s discontent over the holiday’s use. He explained that the national holiday for veterans should not be taken lightly, or substituted for commercialism. Many people carry on their lives as if to show no difference to the men and women, for which the holiday was created. He stressed that the day should be used as observance to those who had served in the branches of the military- not to say that we shouldn't carry on our lives, but uphold the respect for which the day was created out of for the countless people who served and are currently serving.
As the final seconds ticked and the bell rang, I no longer found myself in a hurry to start the weekend as I slowly packed my backpack and left my seat. Voices of overjoyed peers filled the hallways of the school as people rushed outside. Although as a first generation American I have no family serving in the military, something the teacher said struck a chord within me. Reaching my final destination of the day, home, I crept up to my room still in contemplation over the meaning of the quickly approaching day. I turned on the local news to hear about upcoming parade plans for veterans, as well as the expiration of some of the dwindling number of world war two survivors. Quickly the reports changed to the shopping deals on Veterans Day, and I quickly became disgusted. For one, the news anchors seemingly were overjoyed by the idea of retail prices dropping, but indifferent to the deaths of those who had risked their lives for their country. Not to say that the news anchors weren't doing their jobs, but the way in which they portrayed their journalistic views on Veterans Day were clearly influenced by the companies who funded their station.
After the weekend passed and Monday finally arrived I woke up on time, contrary to what I planned previously to my teacher’s lecture. I silently prayed for all who had served in the military, past and present. Any plans that I had previously made with friends seemed insignificant at that very moment, and I made the decision to observe the holiday in my own way. I started researching on veterans of all branches of military and all wars through the internet and listened to some of their stories. I thought to myself, how could they ever be satisfied with just a single day? The self sacrifice, the courage, and the selflessness they possessed were enough to bring tears to my eyes. Traits that was truly seemingly uncommon around where I live. It seemed as if everything we had ever given them could never compare to what they have given us. But in order to show appreciation, you have to start somewhere I guess. At that moment I was compelled to pick up the phone and call family friends who had served in the navy and army. I personally thanked them for their courage and valor and reassured them of my undying respect for each and every one of them.
As the day quickly came to an end, I reflected on the actions I had taken. Of course I could have taken the route of so many others and neglected to pay homage on this momentous day. However, I couldn't deny what I knew and learned from my history class that past week. Although I was admirable to my parents for my actions on that day, it was nothing compared to my admiration for the veteran’s both alive and deceased.
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