Honoring Our Veterans
Most likely as you are reading this, Veterans Day 2018 will have ended. At my church, as in many churches across our nation, we honored veterans by recognizing them, giving them a small token of appreciation, and serving them a meal after the church service.
As I sit here in the comfort of my home, enjoying the many freedoms I have in this our great United States of America, the thought struck me - why do we say "happy" Veterans Day?
My dad served in the army but he never talked about it. My wife has two uncles who served in the armed forces. I was warned to never ask them about their service. I'm not sure they would want to hear me tell them "Happy Veterans Day."
There are, no doubt, those who have one or more family members they remember on Veterans Day but also one or more family members they remember on Memorial Day. I'm not sure they would want to hear me tell them "Happy Veterans Day."
There are also those have been injured, lost limbs, suffer from the effects of war, and so on. I'm not sure they would want to hear me tell them "Happy Veterans Day."
The Bible says we are to "Render...honour to whom honour" is due (Romans 13:7, KJV). Therefore, I honor you, veterans, I respect you, and I am ever so thankful for your service.
I read a number of articles in hopes of finding adequate answers to my questions, but to no avail. Therefore, I now ask you, dear veterans, for your input.
Question #1: Is it proper to say "'Happy' Veterans Day"? I can't help but wonder if for some veterans and possibly even for family members, it might not necessarily be a happy day.
Question #2: If it is not proper to say "'Happy' Veterans day", what are some acceptable alternatives?
Question #3: How can we properly honor our veterans?
Question #4: Please define "veteran". I see many things that say "Honoring those who have served.". What about those who are still serviing. In any event, I am also ever so thankful for you who are currently serving.
Question #5: What else can you as a veteran tell us that will help us to honor you?
I look forward to hearing from you. Hopefully we can all learn how to better honor you, not only on Veterans Day, but throughout your life.
Though telling you "thank you" seems so inadequate, I do thank you.
Best Regards,
Rick
Recent Comments
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My Dad, my uncles, my cousins who served all acknowledged wishes of "Happy Veteran's Day", though I always followed it with "Thank you for serving." Acknowledging their service is the most important part to me.
My brother wasn't in the military, but he was in government service and as such served overseas for over 5 years, many of those spent in war zones. We worried constantly for his safety, but to this day I am so proud of the work he did there, of the contributions he made to keeping the world safe. Thanks God he returned home safely when so many others did not. Thank you to them and their families as well. Mere words cannot convey our nation's gratitude for their sacrifice.
Jeanine,
A heartfelt thanks to your many family members who served, and to your brother who served overseas for five years for the government. And thank you for the years you spent separated from and worrying about so many family members.
Thank you, also, for shedding light on this topic. As you said, acknowledging their service and thanking their families is so important, though words are often insufficient.
God bless you and your family.
Jeannine,
I'm sorry I spelled your name wrong in my reply. I do not like to forget someone's name, and spelling it correctly is just as important to me.
Please accept my apologies.
Humble remembrance day, for all those wHo served.
Let us never forget!
In our countries it is a collective memorial day since so many soldiers are burried on our soils... we can not forget...
Fleeky,
Your mention of humility sparked a thought in my mind:
Everyone I have ever thanked for their service HUMBLY accepted my expression of appreciation. Never arrogant; always kind, always humble.
As you said, "Let us never forget!".
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I don't see remembrance day as being something to be happy about. So I wouldn't say Happy remembrance day.
I do see it as a time to remember all who gave their lives on all sides and to honour those who survived, those who have served and those still serving.
All servicemen and women need to be remembered and not just those on the front line.
There are skirmishes throughout the world where service personnel have lost their lives in honour of their country. Whether they have served in a 'war zone' or not, they are ready to defend those who need defending.
Derek
Derek,
I fully agree. ALL servicemen and women need to be remembered. Though we enjoy our freedom every day and we should, therefore, be thankful to our servicemen and women every day, it's good that we have special days to stop and remember, and to stop and honor, those who fought, those who are still fighting, and those who are standing ready to fight for our safety and freedom. We should never take our freedom for granted.
And as Jeannine shared, there are those in government positions separated from family and friends serving overseas, in harm's way. For them we are also thankful.
Thank you, Derek, for sharing.
Best Regards