Austin Veterans' Day

What Veterans Day Means To Me

Veterans Day is meant to praise the veterans who have fought for this country, but I believe that the true meaning extends to something much deeper and much more important. Veterans day, to me, is for all those who have fought in wars before, those who have lived, and those who have died. It is to praise the souls of those who were willing to risk their lives so that their ideal might live on; it is for those individuals who had such faith and such conviction that they paid the dearest price they could ever pay. They knew not whether they would make any real difference to the world, to their country, or even to those they loved, but what they did know was that all those things they knew and loved made enough of a difference for them personally that they would do all that was within their human power to achieve that.

Veterans Day is not only to praise the tremendous gift that all soldiers have given, but also to honor the awe-inspiring strength of their beliefs. This also reminds us today that people have come before us that were willing to and have given much more than we could even propose to do with something as simple as a day. However, just as their strength and courage dwarf our own, the importance and value of what they have given us dwarf all that we could possibly give back; this is merely our small attempt at showing gratitude for something much greater than us. For us living, however, the pain and suffering endured by those we honor also teach us the importance of their gifts, and if not simply for that reason, we must remember to value the ideals that those before us have fought for. No matter who passes on and who survives, they can live on, immortally, as long as we cherish the ideals that they treasured. These people were so vehement in their beliefs that they were willing to define themselves through their self-sacrifice, and in essence, they were the embodiment of their values. Thus, by continuing their struggle as best we can, if not by action then through thought, we can grant them an immortality that far surpasses any Earthly bonds.

These veterans have paid a price dear to them for principles that are dear to us. They have given and risked far beyond anything we could hope to ourselves. They have been so fervent in their ideals that they were willing to become those ideals, to embody them so that they might take them into battle and test their mettle against overwhelming odds. These veterans have been willing to give us their lives, the least we can do is to give them our hearts and our minds, if only for a day.

2003 Veterans’ Day Essay Contest Winner

Binhong Lu