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Veterans Day: Showing our appreciation

UMass Lowell held its annual flag ceremony on Friday, Nov. 4 to pay tribute to the service of the university’s 1,200 student-veterans, the most at any college or university in Massachusetts. The event speakers included, from left, UMass Lowell Chancellor Jacquie Moloney; Col. Francis Magurn of the Massachusetts Army National Guard; Giselle Sterling, commissioner of veterans services for the city of Boston; U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Jack Weinstein, deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration; U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas; state Sen. Eileen Donoghue; and Marc Fountain of Andover, president of the UMass Lowell Student Veterans Organization.(Courtesy of Tory Germann for UMass Lowell)

Ariah Murphy
Connector Contributor

As a college student, I am grateful for any holiday that gives me a day off. However, all too often we forget that there is more to the day than canceled work or classes.

Veterans Day is one of those US holidays, observed on November 11. What is Veterans Day? Previously named Armistice Day, it marks the cessation of hostilities for World War I in 1918. It is a day not to remember the fallen, but instead to honor and celebrate the service of all US military veterans.

The day was originally dedicated to the cause of world peace and to honor the veterans of The Great War. Since then, it has been amended to include all veterans.

Many of us have friends and family who are either currently serving or have previously served — and some of us are that person. We know the sacrifices these men and women make when they join the military. We feel their absence when they’re away, and we appreciate their presence more when they return.

As civilians, we try to repay them for their service in any way we can. It’s not uncommon to hear of a man or woman in uniform having their flights upgraded while traveling home on leave. Paying for their cup of coffee, buying them a meal, sending a care package: these are some of the ways that we make an effort to show our appreciation. Unfortunately, it never seems to be enough.

If you speak with a veteran, they will more than likely affirm that they didn’t join the military so they could receive discounts offered at some businesses. They didn’t join to get their flights upgraded or get a free cup of coffee. Some don’t even want to go out on Veterans Day; they didn’t serve for the glory.

With this in mind, I wondered how Veterans Day was perceived and what it means to a veteran. After speaking with a friend I learned that even though he doesn’t partake in the well-deserved benefits that the holiday may offer, he appreciates the sentiment. He believes that the day is important and that it should be observed by everyone.

Looking at my friend, you wouldn’t know he was a veteran unless he told you. He doesn’t ask for military discounts, even on a day honoring his service. He, like so many others, deserves much more than one day of celebration for the years he gave.

So what can we, as civilians, possibly do to show our gratitude? Men and women sacrifice years of their freedom and comfort so we can keep ours. They leave their homes to defend ours. They repeatedly part with their friends and families to keep us from ever having to do the same. We sleep at night knowing that we are safe in the land of the free, because of the brave.

I look at my family and friends who are veterans or currently serving with the utmost respect. To be honest, I am in awe of them. The typical age when people join the military is the time in one’s life when they’re particularly selfish; trying to figure out what to do with the rest of your life, how can you not be selfish?

Instead, they choose to go and defend our country. They give us peace of mind, there is nothing we can give in return that compares to that. So what do we do? We give our thanks — to those who are still here to say, “You’re welcome.”

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