Shane EvansThis month, all men and women in the armed forces will be recognized and saluted for serving our country with flags waving proudly and a day to celebrate and commemorate Veterans Day.
Nov. 11, Veteran’s Day, is a day to remember not only those who have died for our country, but to remember the millions of American veterans who have served and continue to serve this great nation.
Dr. Jolyon Girard, a history professor, who is a Vietnam War veteran, shared his thoughts on Veterans Day, saying it is a day he reflects on his past days in the army and it is also a special day for him.
Girard also said, “A lot of people don’t acknowledge Veterans Day. My thoughts are there is going to be a sale at Macy’s. But my sense is, the people fighting in Afghanistan now are going to bring back Veterans Day to this generation. My generation carried the memories with them.”
Also, Girard pointed out the importance of Veterans Day being on Nov. 11.
Veterans Day was formerly called Armistice Day. Armistice Day marked the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the guns of World War I ceased firing. There were 4.7 million American participants in that war. More than 116,000 died in the service. In 1954, Armistice Day was renamed to Veteran’s Day and given the added significance of honoring veterans according to army.mil.
A special appreciation for Veterans Day is also shown by executive chef of Cabrini, Randy Stockett.
Born in Okinawa, Japan, on an Air Force Base and having siblings born in Portugal, Colorado, Virginia and Washington, D.C., Stockett’s appreciation for Veterans Day comes from his military background. Stockett’s father is a retired Lt. Colonel in the United States Air Force.
As Stockett was growing up, he lived on military bases all over the world, with the rest of his family following his father’s career. His father started out as an Airman and he worked his way up over the years to being a respectable officer with the support of his family.
As Stockett grew up, he said he remembered seeing his father’s friends going off to fight in the Vietnam War. Stockett’s military lifestyle leaves him to reflect on Veterans Day every year as he thinks back to his father’s friends and other family members of his in the service.
“Veterans Day is a flag-waving, proud day for my family and folks around us,” Stockett said.
Stockett also at one point considered going into the service but discovered his true passion was cooking.
He said, “Being raised in a military family gave me a real appreciation for the military. I loved it. I had to carry myself differently with my father being an officer. There were high expectations. It was a respect issue. I respect them all. I am what I am because of my father.”
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