Veterans Day is right around the corner — on Friday, November 11. Due to the fact that it falls in the same month as Thanksgiving, this federal holiday is often overlooked or even pushed aside.
Many fail to understand the significance that Veterans Day holds. This often leaves service members in our communities feeling underappreciated or even taken for granted. It is essential that we see this holiday as one of great importance. We should use it as an opportunity to recognize, honor and appreciate those who have served our country in any capacity.
We as families and communities can work in unison to ensure that this goal is met. In both big and small ways, we can show our sincere gratitude to each and every veteran.
According to VA.gov, a veteran is a “person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable.”
Ideas for how those in this category can be adequately honored include the following:
- Write a personalized letter to a local veteran that thanks them for their willingness to serve the country in which we are truly blessed to live.
- With the help of friends and family, visit your local cemetery to place flowers amongst the graves of those service members who have since passed on.
- Invite a veteran to go out to dinner with your family. Express your gratitude and explain why you have invited them out. Following your dinner, invite them to share their experiences if they feel comfortable discussing them.
- Is there a disabled veteran in your community? Offer to rake their leaves or shovel the snow from their driveway.
- Attend local ceremonies that honor veterans. Veterans in attendance will be appreciative of your willingness to show your support.
- If you don’t already have one, display an American flag in your front yard. This shows that you are truly proud to be living in a country that these veterans risked their lives to fight for.
Unlike the tasks that were given to those who fought for our freedoms, these are simple and ask very little of us. However, they are meaningful and could potentially leave a lasting impact on both ourselves and the veterans we serve.
This year, I implore each of you to kindly reach out to a veteran in any way you are capable. Thank them for the ground you walk on, the very bed you sleep in, and the freedoms that you unconsciously reap the benefits of each and every day.
– by Hailee Eyre (18) Cedar City/Panguitch
Feature image caption: “The Kneeling Soldier” statue was quietly unveiled at SunRiver Veterans Honor Park, St. George, in November, 2020 after a more public ceremony was canceled. Courtesy Laura Collier Belnap.
Hailee Eyre – Panguitch
Hailee Eyre is a journalist at The Byway. She attended Southern Utah University in the fall and is pursuing a career in the medical field. Her favorite topics to write about are those that intend to inspire others, providing motivation as means to better yourself or the world around you. In her free time, Hailee loves to be outdoors, whether it be hunting, fishing, boating or hiking.
Hailee is currently serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Pennsylvania and New York Church History Sites Mission.