The True Meaning of Veterans Day

It is that time of year again: the air gets cooler, the leaves change color and fall off the trees, and the holidays are just around the corner. Autumn is the talk of the town this time of the year. However, there is a holiday that people of all ages tend to overlook that occurs this time of year, which is Veteran’s Day. Many do not know what Veterans Day represents. Curious as to what this significant day means to people, I asked two citizens from the Old Lyme community to input their interpretation on the holiday.

The first person I queried was a mother who lives in town and typically likes her voice to be heard in the community. Her reply was that Veterans Day “means honor, pride and reverence for those who served and died to safeguard the rights and privileges this country affords all of us.” She then responded that her father and uncles all fought in the Korean War, which played a part in how important she believes Veterans Day is to this country. The second person I interviewed was a fellow sophomore at LOLHS. She strongly believes “Veterans Day is a day to remember everyone who has fought for the U.S. and those who have sacrificed everything. It is a day to be thankful and thank all of the veterans who are with us.” Both these responses were pretty powerful and can be summed up into one major statement: Veterans Day is a day to honor and thank everyone who has fought to keep our country safe in times of peril.

Old Lyme puts on quite an impressive event for the veterans at Lyme-Old Lyme High School on Veterans Day each year. The school holds an assembly where all choruses and the wind ensemble perform three traditional American pieces: “America the Beautiful,” “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and “Armed Forces Salute.” All veterans are welcomed to attend, and after there is usually a period of time where veterans can stay and chat with teachers and students and snack on refreshments. The veterans always express how appreciated they feel to see such a performance, and that is why they keep coming back every year.