Veterans Day a Day to Celebrate and Remember

Officially there are 11 federal holidays celebrated in the United States: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Out of those 11 holidays, I would argue that only four of them are celebrated properly.  Veterans Day is one that is not.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are around 23 million veterans in the United states and about 4o percent of them are 65 years or older. The number of veterans in the United States almost makes it impossible for every other person not to be related to one. Veterans Day is a day to celebrate warriors of all different kinds. Whether they served in World War II or the Iraq war, the holiday is in honor of them.

Although the war in which they served may have ended, the problems may have just begun. Vets face a numerous amount of health issues after leaving service whether the problems are physical, mental or both. There are scars of war that millions of vets deal with everyday.

Lost limbs, gunshot wounds, and head injuries are just some of the physical scars left by war that can be seen walking down the street. But some of the scars not visible to the naked eye are post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety and substance abuse. Not only are these hidden problems hard on the veteran, but their family and friends may suffer as well.

This holiday is not only important because we are celebrating their courage and bravery during the war but also because of their ongoing attributes after. The national Veterans Day ceremony, which is held every November 11 at Arlington National Cemetery, will start precisely at 11 a.m. But make no mistake, you don’t have to be there to celebrate. Here are some events happening here in PA:

  1. Military Appreciation Monday Free “Thank You” dinner Nov. 15- Golden Corral, Bensalem
  2. A tribute to veterans will be held 11 a.m. Thursday- Shappell Park, Main Street, Phillipsburg, PA
  3. Veterans Day celebration will be held 9:30 to 11 a.m. Thursday- Lehigh County Senior Center, Allentown, PA
  4. Commemorate Veterans Day at The National Constitution Center Thurs. Nov. 11- Philadelphia, PA
  5. Veteran’s Day Commemoration at Valley Forge Thurs.- Valley Forge National Historical Park, King of Prussia

By Robert Henry