Malena Gangi, 11

  In a short response, Veterans Day is a day designated for all individuals who have served in the military. It’s a day to recognize the sacrifices and contributions they have paid towards the country’s freedom and safety. Veterans Day is stressed as a valuable holiday in the United States, but when digging a little deeper into the amount of sacrifice made by members of the military it’s apparent how important this day really is. 

 I have been a military child for more than 16 years and have witnessed first hand the impact it has on people who are involved. My dad is currently an active duty member in the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel, and my mother was formerly a member of the Air National Guard. As a military kid, Veterans Day is not just a day off from school or a time to watch parades; it’s a day that resonates with personal stories and sacrifices that have shaped my life and everyone else.

Growing up in a military family, I learned to understand the true costs for freedom. It means watching a parent leave for months at a time on deployment, not knowing exactly when or if they will return. It means moving to several states and leaving your homes behind at the moment the military commands it. It means not having the luxury to spend time with or see your family due to the miles between you. 

However, this is only my experience. I have been fortunate enough to still have all my family members with me alive today safe and sound. Others aren’t so lucky. According to the U.S. News and World Report; an average of 1,400 military members die each year, not including those killed in conflict. On Veterans Day, we see these people who are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, grandparents, uncles, and aunts be honored for their service. It brings me a sense of profound pride to say my parents contributed to our country and support to those families who have lost so much. It’s a day when the nation pauses to recognize the bravery and dedication of those who serve, and for military kids, it feels like a collective acknowledgment of the sacrifices our families have made.

Having experienced the hardships of having a family member being a part of these risks,  Veterans Day holds a deeply personal place in my heart.  It goes beyond the ceremonies and speeches. It’s a day that honors our families’ sacrifices, educates others about our lives, and reinforces the values that define us. As we celebrate Veterans Day, we embrace our role in this national narrative and take pride in the contributions we, and millions of others, make to our country’s legacy.

Maddy Osterman, 11

Veterans Day has been an impactful holiday since 1918, at the end of the first World War. President Woodrow Wilson made Armistice Day or Veterans Day a day to honor those who have served in the war and to remember those who sacrificed themselves for our country. 

Veterans Day to me is such an important day because it reminds me of the sacrifices my own father took for me, my family, and the rest of my country. While my family was growing, my father was deployed once in 2006 and again in 2019. Facing many difficult challenges throughout his career in the Air Force, being away from family for months at a time, hundreds of difficult training days, and putting his beliefs aside to do what’s right for the country. In 2022 he retired after 20 years of service.

Veterans Day is significant because it allows me to truly appreciate families reuniting, the hard work put in, and the self-sacrifice of all veterans put in since World War I. With this dedicated holiday, Veterans Day allows us to honor those who have fought for our country, for our rights, and the everlasting impact they leave on the millions of people in our nation. I believe Veterans Day should continue to be celebrated in America in order for us to be able to step back out of our own world and appreciate the sacrifices our military members have taken for us.

Sofia Wayne, 9

As Veterans Day rolls around this year, Americans and veterans alike celebrate the holiday dedicated to retired soldiers who served our country. 

 Veterans Day is different for all who celebrate; for some, it can be a day of grieving for their family member who was lost in action,and for others it’s a day of remembrance for veterans who have fought. 

 I asked myself how am I interpreting it? I personally don’t have any immediate family who were enlisted, but I have grandparents who were. My great-grandfather, Gus Bernardoni, was a WWII veteran. He served as a paratrooper overseas on D-Day in Normandy, miraculously making it back to the states after an accident.

Bernardoni was in the military before World War II, an Italian immigrant who enlisted immediately after turning 18 in the states, but his life completely changed after he jumped out of his plane on June 6th, 1944.

His parachute was broken and never opened, which left him plummeting to the ground and falling into a pile of debris. He was paralyzed in his legs and injured everywhere else. Somehow he made it out and came home months later, still in critical condition. He found a passion in golf as the feeling came back in his legs, as he healed back to a 100, both physically and mentally, he continued his golf career, eventually writing his own guidebook. 

In 1978, Gus wrote a book entitled “Golf God’s Way,” collecting minor fame as his golfing career took off, golfing for a total of 40 years. Other than his legacy, I remember him as my great-grandfather. He was only around for the first five years of my life. I still hold fond memories of him, going to him and my Grandma’s house, going with them to parks and getting food and going up to Chicago for Thanksgiving to see his family. 

My great-grandfather was an amazing veteran and is still remembered today by my family and his community, but I also take the time to remember the amazing person he was. To me that’s what Veterans Day is – another reminder to keep his and other veterans’ memories alive.

Ashlyn McVay, 12

Veterans Day has been a day for celebration since 1919, becoming a legal holiday in 1938. A day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as “Armistice Day,” or Veterans Day. Veterans Day was primarily a day set aside to honor World War I Veterans.

Veterans Day is a constant reminder that peace and freedom will always come with a cost. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, more than 526,000 people die each year because of the violence associated with armed conflict and large- and small-scale criminality. That is 526 thousand families torn apart by war. 

As the daughter of an Air Force veteran, I don’t know what I would have done if I lost my dad. Being a military child has always been difficult, including long months without my dad. When he was home he was always exhausted. Not only was this hard on me, but it was also hard on my mother. My mom was picking up 2-3 shifts a day to keep food on our table and a roof over my head.

Though many hardships came with my father being in the Air Force, I’ve always wanted to follow in his steps. I’ve always wanted to be in the Air Force and defend and fight for my country. 

Veterans Day celebrates those who have fought to defend our freedom. Soldiers create history every day, so we take this Veterans Day to celebrate all the people who have risked everything to secure freedom for family, friends and strangers. Veterans Day should be spent with those you love, celebrating the freedom that veterans have fought for.