What do we owe veterans? I have thought a lot about that lately. Our recognition of Veterans Day dates back to the Great War and the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1919. Today, the US. Department of Veterans Affairs website declares Veterans Day to be "a celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good."
That does not seem to me to be quite enough. I associate the former Armistice Day with my grandfather, who served in France during the Great War. He is no longer here for me to ask him why he got on a ship bound for far-away Europe. He was a piecework shoemaker and boxer who knew nothing of France or international politics. Was he drafted? I do not know. I do know that he voluntarily joined the Navy afterward, which he preferred for the food and the hot showers. I am told that the Navy is where he earned the title of welterweight champion. His service is its own testament to his willingness to serve.
The end of our involvement in the Vietnam conflict meant that I never had to test my own willingness to serve our nation when I graduated high school. I do not know what my attitude would have been. I didn't know anything then. As the New Testament says, "when I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child." I did not understand what the willingness to serve truly meant. I cannot know if I would have met the test.
Many millions of Americans did meet the test. They sacrificed for the common good and deserve to be celebrated. We will celebrate them this and every Veterans Day. More than that, we pledge to them our eternal gratitude. We owe them a debt that can never be repaid.
Veterans, thank you for your service.
* U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. "The History of Veterans Day". Online. https://department.va.gov/veterans-day/history-of-veterans-day/. Accessed on 11.11.2025.
** New King James Bible. 1 Corinthians 13:11-12. Bible Gateway. Online. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2013%3A11-12&version=NKJV. Accessed on 11.11.2025.