On the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, peace was granted.
Veterans Day, celebrated on the 11th of November each year began as “Armistice Day” to commemorate the armistice which ended the fighting in the “war to end all wars”, World War I. “Armistice Day” was made a national holiday in 1938 and, in 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially deemed the holiday “Veterans Day” to honor those who served in all wars.
The purpose of Veterans Day is to provide “a celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good,” or so the United States Department of Veterans Affairs official website states.
According to the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics (NCVAS) data updated as of August, 2009, there are approximately 23,442,000 veterans in this country who have both served and sacrificed.
Winfield Guilmette, one of the 23 million and Vice President for Finance and Administration at Ursinus, spoke of a “whole different time”, growing up after World War II, during which many of the men he knew were involved in the military in some respect.
With his one uncle in the Pacific and another in North Africa and Italy, Guilmette referred to his time spent on a nuclear submarine during the Vietnam era as somewhat of an “obligation”, more so than any voluntary decision.
“We felt very threatened here for some reason,” Guilmette said. “Which was probably not a valid reason.”
But for some, entering the military proved to be an opportunistic endeavor.
For Facilities Director, Andrew Feick, serving in the Corps of Engineers in the U.S. Army “afforded me some much needed focus and direction in college and clarified my previously clouded understanding of ethics and honesty.”
Feick’s experience is just one example that shows that military involvement is not only about combat.According to their website, the Army Corps of Engineers’ mission is to “Provide vital public engineering services in peace and war to strengthen our Nations security, energize the economy, and reduce risks from disasters.”
Brian Thomas, Ursinus College Emissary and Head Men’s Baseball Coach, offered a reason for why there may be misunderstanding regarding military involvement today, citing that this generation’s students “does not get much support through education” as “the curriculum tends to be against war.” Students are not given sufficient information regarding the life of a soldier, just the negative effects of war.
Thomas, who acted as First Lieutenant and Infantry Platoon Leader, served in the US Army for six years, three of which he spent in actual active duty.
Senior media and communications major, Alyce Rasmussen, recognized also that there is a lack of attention in schools paid to Veterans. While she remembers war as being a major topic of discussion in class, she stated: “No one really made any attempt to commemorate Veterans. Teachers just didn’t address it.”
Websites like VA Kids, K-5th are currently being designed to attempt to combat this anti-war stigma in education, offering “Cool Facts About Veterans”, “Games and Activities”, and “About the Flag” tabs that children can utilize to educate themselves on this part of our nation’s history.
Kids are made aware that Veterans can include family member and that “you can be very proud of them.”Jane Helmick, a sophomore media and communication studies major and whose father currently serves in Army and recently returned from Iraq, describes anti-war stigma in this way: “Some find it hard to support the soldier because they believe that they are supporting the war too, when in reality you can be against the war, but can support the soldier because they are fighting for our freedom.”
In considering the value young people place on Veterans Day, Thomas added: “I don’t think young people know what it really means…the military has helped keep us where we are. That’s the beauty of Veterans Day. We fought for our freedoms that no one else has.”
“There is a selflessness” to one’s decision to enter the service today, Feick affirmed, and Thomas provides support to that claim: “Most people don’t join the army to kill people. It’s not glorious.”
Veterans like Rick Porter, Facilities Operations Manager at UC, can also attest to the harsh reality of war. Serving in the Navy during Vietnam taught him that “life can be over in an instant.”
Although war may not be glorious, Veterans Day offers us all a chance to reflect upon the glorious actions of the brave men and women who have stared at this harsh reality in its face and served in the United States Armed Forces.
Thomas, in his concluding remarks, made one point clear. “It’s not about me. It’s about the soldier. The people who served. I am one of many. Veterans Day is one day out of the year to remember and honor all soldiers.”
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