Paying tribute to our veterans
It’s the time of the year we take a moment to honor those who have served and those who continue to serve us, though we will almost certainly never meet most of them and probably know the names of only a few. It’s a distinct moment to stop and think about the sacrifices they made — while all of them give so much, some of them give all. Even though it’s certainly important to take some time on this special day — Veterans Day — to think about those who have served and those who are currently serving our country, a single day of our consideration and thoughts can never be enough, especially for those who gave the ultimate gift through their service — their lives.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get to know too many veterans on a personal level. The general conception seems to be that veterans are typically older people. However, during the past two years, I’ve been lucky enough to get to know and become friends with a veteran who served in the Marines. In 2001, he was deployed to Afghanistan with his company. They were some of the very first U.S. soldiers to enter the area following 9/11. This particular veteran is an uncommon one, as he is quite a bit younger than one might expect at his age of 28.
I got to know Ben through a couple of college classes we had together and through some shared events that our respective sorority and fraternity sponsored. I did not even realize that Ben was older than the typical college student — let alone a veteran of the Marines — until he gave a speech in my business speaking class about his background and experiences. Having Ben as a classmate certainly brought another diverse viewpoint into course discussions.
After spending a good deal of time with him during a term-long group project in which he was one of my group members, I had the opportunity to talk with him a bit more about what it was like to experience something so intense and life-changing as fighting in a war — at the age of 20. I heard about some of the conflicts he experienced personally as he inwardly questioned what was going on, yet remained firm and true to his commitment of service as a Marine. It was enlightening to hear his thought process, as he seemed to still be working out some of the same issues and feelings.
Most typical 20 year olds are sitting in college classrooms, part of the work force or are simply very unsure about what to do with their lives at that point. Yet, there is another group of young adults who, like Ben, spend these same years on military bases, in training, and serving in other countries. Afterward, if they choose to go to college, they seem to bring a much more complex perspective into the classroom.
Ultimately, I’d like to point out that some veterans don’t even come close to fitting the stereotypical bill — there are young veterans, there are female veterans. You may not even be able to discern who is a veteran at first glance. They may, like Ben, be slightly reluctant to tell you their stories or immediately share their feelings about their experiences, but even just from interacting with them, your world and your perspective will open up. You will learn that most of them are much too humble about their service, their gift, to ask for any kind of recognition, but it really ought to be given to them frequently. Their sacrifices and experiences deserve nothing less from us, the beneficiaries of their selfless and challenging gifts. Thank you to all veterans — and their families — who have given in ways that I cannot even imagine.
Heather Holland is a former Princeton High School student and a graduate of Augustana College. She is currently a graduate student at Bradley University in Peoria. She can be reached at hgholland@mail.bradley.edu.
