Veterans Day Archives

A Veterans Day Salute

November 10, 2019/in A Veteran's Perspective, Holidays & Events, Military Veteran, Veteran News

A Veterans Day Salute

Contributed by Alan Rohlfing (Lieutenant Colonel, USA Retired)

Greetings, friends. As we commemorate this Veterans Day, it is an honor to be able to visit with you on the Military Connection platform. It is an honor to have worn the uniform of the US Army, as well. I was a Soldier by choice, but an American by the grace of God.

We gather in many places to salute our nation’s Veterans. On the anniversary of Armistice Day, we pause to remember the brave men and women who served, and sometimes died for, our country. We remember the other men & women we’ve served alongside, lifelong friends who have the common bond of enduring hardships, pain, and even loss, as we contributed to something we considered priceless – the defense of our country. I feel privileged and proud to be part of a group that has done so much for so many.

We remember our battalions, our companies, our ships…our bombers, our tanks, and our cannons. We remember our patrols, our deployments…our battles & our homecomings. We remember our friends, our crews, our units – our first haircut, the mess halls, guard duty – we remember voices – shouting, laughing…and the tears. We, the ones that have served this nation, have these images and sounds and feelings burned into our minds, hearts, and souls…

We remember the brave men and women who have served in places such as Antietam, Gettysburg, and San Juan Hill; in the trenches of France, the beaches of Normandy, the deserts of Africa; the jungles of the Philippines, Guam, Okinawa, or Vietnam; the hills of Korea, the sands of Kuwait, the villages of Iraq, and the mountains of Afghanistan. Wherever and whenever our men & women are called to serve, they go.

For those Veterans who have stood guard in peacetime… to those who have seen the terror, the horror and inhumanity of combat — and to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice – our Veterans have always been there, defending the Constitution of the United States of America. The Veterans of our nation have been safeguarding our liberties since before the American Revolution.

On Veterans Day, we remember those who sacrificed at home and overseas. Where it was once specifically a celebration of the silencing of the guns of World War One, Veterans Day now marks a day when nations around the world pause and observe – with solemn, silent pride – the heroism of those who have served, those who are currently serving, and those who died in our country’s service, in that war and in all others. It is not a celebration of victory, but rather, a celebration of those who made victory possible. It’s a day we keep in our minds the brave men and women of this young nation — generations of them — who above all else believed in, and fought for, a set of ideals.

Just as our Veterans chose to serve, I challenge & encourage all of you to volunteer your services to any number of endeavors…your school’s PTO, a local food pantry, or your church…the Little League or the high school feeder team’s Football Club. Service to country is very much like service to community.

Our communities are the fabric of our nation, and every one is a little different. From those communities, our Veterans bring those differences to the defense of our nation. Poor or wealthy, urban or rural…they bond together as Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen. As our Nation’s sword and shield, our Veterans represent the strength and diversity of our nation.

This includes members of the Reserve Component – our Reservists & National Guardsmen. When serving in a traditional role, not federalized or deployed, these men and women are full-time members of the community. They work in your towns, their families attend your schools, and they commit themselves to the protection of your land and defense of your freedoms against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

Today’s National Guardsmen and Reservists, from all branches of service, are able to transition from the workforce to the fighting force with speed, grace and resiliency. In this time of what seems like persistent conflict, they have endured tour after tour in distant and difficult places. I deployed twice while my sons were in elementary school. I remember the heartbreak of leaving my wife and children, but I also vividly remember the joy of coming home after a long deployment.

Those of us that have worn the uniform typically have a variety of reasons for having done so. For many, it’s a sense of Duty-Honor-Country, a belief in freedom, and a faith in America’s future. I think that one of the reasons why I served is that, on occasion, I had the opportunity to be in the presence of greatness…visiting with a Tuskegee Airman at a Missouri Veterans Home, or watching history come alive at the airport at 0400 as WWII Veterans gathered for a trip to see our nation’s memorials in Washington, DC, a part of the Honor Flight network.

So, whether it’s chatting with Veterans from WWII or trading war stories with those fresh from today’s battlefields, sometimes I get to shake the hands of some real heroes. That’s just one of reasons why I served, and why I’m proud…I am proud to be an American; I am proud to be a Veteran.

On Veterans Day, be sure to pause and remember the many Americans who have served. The Veterans of today are writing the history books that you, your children and your children’s children will one day study.

Thank you for taking the time to commemorate this special day in your own way. God bless our Troops, God bless our Veterans…and may God continue to bless the United States of America.

Military Connection: A New Type of Holiday Carol: By Joe Silva

November 11, 2014/in Archived Blogs

Music is a very important part of celebrating holidays. Just as carols can bring out the spirit of Christmas, a good patriotic anthem can get an American’s blood pumping for their country during patriotic holidays, including Veterans Day and Independence Day.

Michael Souders, a music teacher at Colonial Heights, Virginia’s Tussing Elementary School, has been instrumental in expressing the true spirit of Veterans Day through song. Back in 2009, Souders posted a video on Youtube featuring students from Tussing Elementary singing a song that he and his wife, Angela, wrote, called “Thank You, Soldiers!” The video has more than 2.5 million likes. Souders offered the sheet music to schools across the nation, and scores of schools have used it over the last few years.

For Veterans Day, 2014, Mr. Souders composed a new piece called “I Still Believe.” Souders posted a video on Youtube of Tussling Elementary School’s third graders singing this newest devotional to Veterans and service members. The beauty of the message is perfectly captured in the sweet voices of the singers.

It is amazing how many Americans find ways to support Veterans through their talents. I commend Mr. Souders for using his as both a composer and educator to provide these gifts of song to Veterans. Mr. Souders has generously offered up the sheet music to everyone, with a link to it from the video.

In reply to an individual who questioned Souders’ sincerity with the first video, he replied, “…I say for our country to show our care and gratitude to you all, we all are different, so we ‘do what we do’ to show it. Doctors will give aid, philanthropists will give millions, contractors will build and renovate veterans” homes, engineers will design things to help the injured, and MUSICIANS WILL WRITE SONGS OF GRATITUDE. All of it put together is what counts….”

Well, this Veteran is impressed, as I feel that I am another individual “doing what I do” to help my comrades, through my writing. I have spent many a Veterans Day and Independence Day, and every other holiday, deployed *or* otherwise away from home. I remember Guantanamo Bay, 2008, playing patriotic songs on my laptop and amplifying them to my band of buddies using speakers that I bought at the exchange. My time off, after working on those holidays, were spent listening to patriotic songs with my deployment family, talking about home with my comrades, all of us singing along proudly, though not very well.

I like to envision that my comrades who are still serving will add Mr. Souders’ songs to their playlists for similar occasions, and that at barbecues and gatherings across the nation, the voices of children will sing along with the patriots from their generation.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: A New Type of Holiday Carol: By Joe Silva

Military Connection: CELEBRATE Veterans Day: By Navy Veteran Joe Silva

November 10, 2014/in Archived Blogs

Military Connection would like to thank all who have served their country this Veterans day.

Each year, November 11^this reserved as a federal holiday intended to celebrate all of those who served in the U.S. military.

The origins of Veterans Day can be traced back to 1919, when, at the end of World War I, President Woodrow Wilson declared November 11^th “Armistice Day” to commemorate the end of the of “The Great War.” The signing of the armistice occurred on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. In 1954, Congress approved an amendment to change Armistice Day to Veterans Day. The spelling of “Veterans Day” by the U.S. government does not include an apostrophe, in order for the word “Veteran” to be used as an adjective.

As a federal holiday, government buildings, post offices and banks are closed. In years past, most Americans were given the day off work to celebrate. Nowadays, it is estimated that fewer than 20% of Americans will be given the day off by their employer. That is a trend that we, as a generation of Americans who have witnessed more than thirteen years of war, might want to change, especially for Veterans.

Throughout the nation, Veterans Day is observed with patriotic events, including parades, community rallies and social gatherings, all designed to thank all Veterans, from all generations, for their military service. Many Veterans organizations, including the American Legion, American Veterans (AMVETS), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), hold their own celebrations and gatherings with the support of their local communities.

A number of retailors and large restaurant chains also offer Veterans Day specials. The MilitaryConnection.com website offers a substantial list of Veteran and Military Deals & Discounts, including Veterans Day specials. (Please note that deals are only valid at participating vendors, and most all deals will require proof of service.)

Perhaps the best way to observe Veterans Day is by actually CELEBRATING it. Attend a party… better yet THROW a party: invite your friends, especially your Veteran friends, fly the Stars and Stripes, hang some red, white and blue bunting, play some patriotic music, and eat some great American food. Let Veterans know that you care.

Veterans, be sure to show your military pride. If you separated under honorable conditions after serving during a time of war, you are authorized to wear your military uniform at weddings, funerals and patriotic functions, as detailed in Executive Order 10554. Even if you don’t wear your uniform, be sure to wear some Veteran pride apparel. Wear your medals, a military ball cap, a t-shirt, something displaying that you are proud to have served. If Veterans don’t celebrate the holiday, then what’s the point?

Veterans Day is a holiday. By definition, a holiday is an occasion to take a break from normal labors to celebrate or commemorate. This November 11^th, whether you have the day off or have to work, be sure to step away from your everyday routine and celebrate, any way you want. It’s your right… thanks to Veterans.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.