Ever heard of Veterans Day? Well, you have because you get a day off of school because of it. But it’s more than just a day off. Veterans Day dates back to 1954 only one year after the Korean War. Formally Armistice Day to honor veterans from World War 1. Today we honor veterans from all wars that the U.S. has been involved in. Memorial Day is often confused with Veterans Day. Memorial Day is to honor our soldiers who have died while serving in a war or incident.
Veterans Day is celebrated all over the country for veterans. To show your appreciation, tell them thank you for your service. Usually, a veteran will wear a hat, shirt, shorts, socks of a military branch, or veteran hat all for Veterans Day. You want to show as much appreciation because they have lost a lot while at war.
When talking to a veteran, something that makes them happy is when you ask to hear their story. They love sharing their experience in the military, as it makes them feel like you care about their life. You should also be an active listener. Listening actively shows that you’re interested and you’re not there because you’re being forced to. Whenever you decide to do something kind it should come from you, not someone else forcing you to do something. When that happens, the act of kindness doesn’t come from your heart. Just make sure that when you’re listening and asking questions you don’t get too personal. Everyone has their boundaries and there are always some things you prefer to keep to yourself. Not all veterans have pleasant backstories of their experience fighting for freedom, so we should respect that and not ask for too much detail if they’re not willing to share. To even speak with a veteran in the first place, you’ll need to find a veteran to talk to.
There are events all around SCV where you can communicate with a veteran. For example, UCLA had an event at the West LA branch of Cal Vet Veterans Home where students went and talked to veterans. This took place on Wednesday, November 8th. LA had a Veterans Collaboration on Wednesday, November 13th where you could assist veterans. Tickets were free and you needed to RSVP as soon as possible, most likely before the date of the collaboration. For all those people out there who are too tired or just don’t feel like leaving your house, you’re in luck. There is a website called vetfriends.com where you can talk to veterans online. This is an easy way to tell them how much we appreciate their work. Veterans have done a lot for us and we must acknowledge that.