Veterans Day Open House

In November of 2011, Steven Vandervort wrote an article titled, “What Does it Mean to be a Veteran?” based on his experience throughout his military career and his follow-on career with the Veterans Health Administration. This is an excerpt from his article capturing, for many, that meaning.

The life altering decision to join the military comes with much that is never heard nor seen by the general public. Much of this commitment is both physically and mentally life altering. For many Veterans’, they carry their memories internally and may on occasion share them with friends, family or in general conversation. Many do not! So, what does it mean to be a Veteran?

It means extreme sacrifice by yourself and your family. It also means all of the above to include the equally all important sacrifices that your wife and kids have endured along the way sharing in your pain and anguish. It means that families sacrifice as much if not more along this journey and many times are shunned in the communities for which we live and work. It means families never get the recognition for their support and many times don’t receive the same assistance that the veteran receives. It means that you still to this day get major goose bumps on opening day at football home openers when the military fly by takes place and the national anthem is sung. It means you take it seriously when you fly your American flag outside of your house on the 4th of July and Memorial Day. It means even though your body is riddled with multiple problems, aches, and pains, you would do it all over again a heartbeat. Why, because you deeply love this country of ours and you’re damn proud of it; our past, present, and future military members and all of the sacrifices that have been made by them and their families for us to live in this great country and share in the freedoms for which we’re privileged enough to have and for which Veteran’s make these ultimate sacrifices.

That’s what it means to be a Veteran.