The following Veterans Day essays, written by Fillmore Central sixth graders, were read at our observance on Monday, November 4, 2019.
What Veterans Day means to me
By Brennus Braaten
He paced around his house holding his rifle in the dark of night, as the sounds of bombs got closer and louder. As the sun rises he returns to his home, where the windows are boarded up, his single rocking chair awaits his return. He slumps in to rest his eyes for just a minute until the next episode begins again.
What Veterans Day means to me is celebrating the lives of the people who served in the military. It is a day that we should all remember the brave and courageous men and women who fought for this country. Veterans Day is the day that we signed an armistice that marked the end of World War l. The armistice we signed was signed on the 11th month of the 11th day of the 11th hour in 1918.
My grandpa TW, as we call him, worked for the Navy and he joined because he was about to be drafted into the Army but he put his name in for the Navy. He also thought it was his duty as a fellow American. He did research on what he could do in the Navy and his responsibility was to watch the radar. He also made some friends along the way, but there was this one in particular and his name was Dan. They met at boot camp and got separated as they went to different schools and TW became depressed, but they met again at a ship they were both assigned to and my grandpa got more of an idea of how things worked in the military. TW was never in a war but was in combat. His time in the Army made an impact on the way he saw things, but it also helped him get certain jobs afterward.
My Grandpa Al enlisted into the Marines during the Vietnam War, but never went overseas. His brother, my great-uncle Bob, was enlisted during Vietnam and had served overseas twice. My grandpa said in the military you learn to have a lot of respect for one another, no matter what branch you were in. It was almost like a band of brotherhoods. You also learned to respect weapons and how to handle them properly. My Grandpa Al said those in the military not only risked their lives daily, but they also risked losing their relationships with their significant others. Being stationed away from home took its toll on their relationships with limited ways of communication. Soldiers missed out on the births of their children as well as anniversaries. The troubles didn’t stop even after they were back home. Many Veterans have suffered ill health and had issues with deteriorating mental health. While trying to relearn how to live as a civilian, which had its own challenges, most suffered from undiagnosed PTSD.
My Grandpa Mel was a veteran as well and worked as a Veterans Service Officer in Trail County, N. Dak., for several years, helping veterans receive the care and services they deserve. He also helped design and build a veterans memorial that was built at the Trail County Courthouse in Hillsboro, N. Dak. In 2009, just a few short months before he passed away from COPD, he was hired as Fillmore County Veterans Service Officer. I have heard many stories from my parents about the things he accomplished during his time here in Fillmore County, and the impact he made on those who desperately needed his help. If it was one thing that made him happy, it was helping veterans, even if he was just being a listening ear and hearing their stories.
So I ask that as fellow Americans, we help celebrate veterans, not just on the special day designated for them, but every day. Coming together and expressing the love and support they deserve for devoting their life in the military. For the risks and sacrifices they take to keep our freedom, that we come together as one and help them after they have returned. Supporting them as they become civilized after the trauma they have endured while fighting for our freedom. And finally, taking the time to talk with our fellow veterans to hear the stories they have will help explain why it’s important to celebrate Veterans Day.
Thank you!
What Veterans Day means to me
By Elianna Cassmann
What Veterans Day means to me, is that on November 11, we celebrate all the people who have served in the military. This year in school I learned that you don’t have to fight in a war to be a veteran. All you need to do to be a veteran is serve and be loyal to our country. So on November 11, we celebrate the signing of the armistice which ended World War I hostilities between the Allied nations and Germany.
Now that everything is currently calm, Veterans Day is a time to celebrate, too! When you see a veteran I think you should always say thank you to them, because we should remember that we need to remember that these men and women put their lives on hold just to serve and protect us and our country. Many people use USA flags as a sign of Veterans Day to say thank you as well. Another thing that we do to celebrate is sing songs that represent America or the USA. There are many places around the U.S. that we can gather and share Veterans Day together. Many, if not all, of our great presidents have talked and shared their view of Veterans Day with the U.S. I think that November 11 is a very serious or solemn day too.
I think the perfect words to fit most veterans are first, “brave.” They risked their life to go to the military and protect our country no matter what happened, they were always doing something brave for us. The next word I would say fits a veteran is “loyal,” because out of all the people in the world, they went to the military. The next word I think would fit is “strong,” because they went to the military and every day got stronger and stronger as they pushed themselves to their limit. The next word I say fits a good veteran is “trustworthy.” Veterans leave their families and they risk it all to serve us so they tell everyone that knows and loves him or her, that you need to trust me. We put all of our trust into the veterans to keep us safe, and without a doubt we trust them.
Some of the veterans that I know are my grandpa, my great-grandpa, and my uncle Aric. My grandpa and my uncle both served in the Marine Corps. And I don’t quite know what my great-grandpa did. The branches in the military are Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Coast Guard.
To this day I think that people in the world should, and should keep doing good for the veterans. I think that every good veteran should have a good home and good food just like most of us right now. So what Veterans Day means to me is that on November 11 we celebrate and respect all the veterans that served for us and our country. You don’t have to be the best and strongest person or veteran out there and you don’t always have to be in war to be titled a veteran, but you put your life on hold to go and serve and protect our country and us.
My favorite veteran
By Lillyan Kiehne
A veteran is a person who fights for our country, keeps us safe, and free. We celebrate Veterans Day to honor the people who have served in the military. The Veterans Day program at Fillmore Central starts with veterans walking into the gym to a beating snare drum. The fourth throughsixth grade students sing patriotic songs and several sixth graders provide speeches about what Veterans Day means to them or about their favorite veteran. The program is an opportunity for students and community members to recognize and thank veterans for their service to our country.
My favorite veteran is my grandpa. My grandpa was in the Air Force. He signed up for the Air Force to avoid being drafted. If he would have been drafted, the government would have assigned him to the Army Infantry, where he would have been in the front lines killing people. He didn’t want to do that, so he joined the Air Force. When he joined the Air Force, he was 20 years old.
My grandpa was stationed in Amarillo, Tex., for basic training. Next, he was stationed in Biloxi, Miss., for six months. Then, he went to San Antonio, Texas for 2 1/2 years. His favorite place to be stationed was San Antonio because his new wife (my grandma) was able to live with him and they met many lifelong friends.
My grandpa worked as an International Morse Code Intercept Operator. He was trained how to intercept and copy international Morse code for six hours per day for six months. In order to do this, he was given the highest national security clearance. Morse Code is a form of communication that encodes letters as dots, dashes, dits and dahs. For example, the letter “L” would come across the radio as “Di Da Didit.”
My grandpa served in the Air Force during the Vietnam Conflict and had orders to go to Vietnam. His orders stated he would begin survival training at Fort Louis in Washington state and then fly to the Philippines for jungle survival training. After training was complete, they would send him to Vietnam. His orders were cancelled right before he left for Washington.
My grandpa served for three years and three months in the Air Force before he was given an early out to attend veterinary college as part of the military vocational rehabilitation program. My grandpa believes serving in the military was a great opportunity to learn helpful and unique skills and meet people from all over the world.
We are lucky because we live in a country where we can pick our job, say what we want without being punished, and make other basic decisions. We can do these things because of the veterans who fought to make sure we have our freedom. Thank you, veterans!
What Veterans Day means to me
By Taylor Saunders
What do you see on this solemn, important day? I see our flag, our people, and the people who served for us. I see people gathered together, hand on heart, looking at the flag in silence or maybe even reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. You may think today is a tragic, and a depressing day. It really isn’t, it’s really about pride and how our country has stood as one for so long. It may be a bit tragic to some people for reasons they probably don’t want to talk about. For other people it can be an honorable day.
I believe Veterans Day is a time for celebration and remembrance. It’s a day to respect those serving, those who served in the past, and those who died serving. On November 11 each year we celebrate everyone who has played a part in keeping our nation alive and strong! Veterans are important to our society; without them who knows what would happen.
Veterans are people who choose to take time away from their families, and go train to guard our country and our lives. When I think of Veteran’s Day I think of people in uniform serving in the Army, the Navy, the Coast Guard, the Marine Corps, and the Air Force. I also think of the people who have served in the past. I believe this is not a day for tragedy but a day of reflection. I think of people who died keeping me safe all of my life, making it so I don’t have to worry about war or fighting for my life.
World War I was one of the worst wars we fought as a nation. It was fought for four to five years, in that time 8.5 million soldiers lost their lives and 21 million soldiers were wounded or injured. Wars are a big deal and the people who fought till the end should be forever thanked and honored. I believe anyone who even puts on a uniform of any sort, such as firefighters, doctors, police officers, nurses, etc., should be thanked for all they’ve done for us. World wars shouldn’t have to be fought, we shouldn’t have to ever worry about someone attacking our nation. Thousands upon millions of soldiers die during battles or wars. We can’t stop it but we can help find effective ways to solve the issue.
I love all of the parades and celebrations in honor of this special day; some of the instruments you might hear during these celebrations are trumpets and drums. Ever since fourth grade we have sang two songs for the Veteran’s Day program. “God Bless the USA” has always been one of my favorite songs to listen to, because it represents my love for the country.
Just by standing up every morning and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance you’re thanking your country. When you say “I Pledge of Allegiance to the flag,” you are saying that you promise your loyalty to your country’s flag.
When Veterans Day comes around it’s a very solemn, or serious, time for us all. As well as a time to be proud of your people and your nation for standing together as one. There are so many different monuments resembling all the soldiers who died. If you ever meet a soldier be sure to thank them for their hard work and the risks they took, as well as salute them, honor them, and respect them.
Today isn’t the only day people celebrate the veterans. We celebrate and respect them every morning during the school week. I don’t just see our flag standing strong on this very day, but I see it standing strong everyday. So this day may be extremely important to our country but so is every day. If you see a veteran at any time be sure to thank them for their service! So to all the veterans who decided to take time out of their day to come here and visit us, we would like to thank you for your service and time.
Veterans Day
By Teahya Toney
When I think of Veterans Day, there are many things that come to mind for me. One of the biggest things that comes to mind for me though, is the many veterans that served our country. A veteran is a person who has served in the Armed Forces, protecting our country and its people. These people are special in so many ways, but there are several that stand out to me and give me so much pride.
Veterans are special people because they are strong, loyal, brave and caring. They take pride in the service that they gave to our country. Veterans put their lives at risk and left their families, all to protect the people of our country. To me that is honorable and respectable and for that reason they should be celebrated every day.
Because of the veterans that served in the many different wars, our country has been a part of why we are allowed so many freedoms. We are able to be who we want to be, there is a never a goal that we can’t achieve because of these freedoms, and we are able to truly know that we are safe. If it weren’t for these people, we may not be standing here today and for that I will always be thankful.
I am very proud to be related to many veterans that served our country without a moment’s hesitation. My great-grandpa Jay Toney served in the Navy during WWII, after he was drafted into the Ankeny Defense Unit. He was honorably discharged on February 17, 1946. But his time in the Navy was always carried with him and the images he had seen affected him in his daily life. My great-uncle Malcolm Ogier was drafted into the Army in 1972, where he was sent to Budigan, Germany, and later honorably discharged as an Army Specialist 4, otherwise known as a specialist marksman. In addition to these, my great-great-great-great-grandfather John Toney fought in the Civil War as a member of the Union Army. Also while serving in the Civil war, my grandfather John’s nephew, William Toney was captured and sent to Andersonville Prison, where over 60% of the soldiers sent there died of starvation and disease. He and two other soldiers were able to escape by bribing the guard with a $20 piece of gold that William’s wife had sewn into his pants.
I am very proud of the many members of my family that have served our country during a time of war, but one that really stands out to me is my great-uncle Arlyn Olson. He served during the Vietnam War from January 8, 1968, until October 11, 1968. He served in the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry, and the 25th Infantry Division while in the Army.
While he was fighting at Trang Bang, Vietnam he was injured in a mortar blast fire, along with five other members of his battalion. During this he was burned on over 14% of his body. Because of his injuries he was hospitalized for over four months and he was honorably discharged from the Army on August 28, 1970. My uncle Arlyn received a Purple Heart medal because of the injuries that he received while serving his country. He waited over 40 years to officially receive his medal, because his injuries weren’t copied into his records. Even with his injuries, my uncle says that he would serve his country again in a heartbeat if he were able to.
Every veteran of our country deserves so much respect for the service that they gave to our country. I will forever be thankful and proud of the many members of my family and every other veteran that served our country and gave so much of their lives to our country, all the way back to the Civil War. To the men and women who serve and have served our country, I would like to say thank you. Without you all I couldn’t imagine what our lives would be like.
My favorite veteran
By Xander Johnson
I love the Veterans Day program here. The fifth and sixth grade sing two songs. Every year we change one song and the other one we never change. The song that we never change is “God Bless the U.S.A.” I also love the snare drum rolls and the sound of the trumpets.
I was born into a family with many veterans, so I have many favorites. One of my favorite veterans is my great-grandpa Erickson. He was in the U.S. Navy in World War II. He was on the ship called the USS Gwin, which was a minelayer ship. When the treaty that ended World War II was signed by Japan, his ship was in Tokyo Bay, only miles from where the treaty was signed. I wish he was still alive so I could talk to him about his experiences.
My favorite thing to learn about is World War Il, and I’m always reading about it. I have never been a fan of reading, but now I love it! I know a lot about World War II. I even have my own encyclopedia about it. My friend Micah and I also made a World War II website called The Kid-Orian.
When I think about veterans I think of the colors red, white, and blue for the American flag. I also think of camo because of the uniforms. When you see an American flag and you say the Pledge of Allegiance, it’s a very solemn time. It’s not a time to mess around and make jokes, but a time to appreciate and respect our freedom and our men and women who fight for it!
Another one of my favorite veterans is my dad. He was in his Advanced Indiviual Training to be an U.S. Army medic on September 11, 2001, and knew he was going to war with Iraq because of the suicide terrorists who attacked us on that day. While he was deployed in Iraq he worked at a prison called “Abu Ghraib.” He also loved to play sports like volleyball and basketball in his free time.
When I get older, I plan on being in the military just like my relatives! I don’t know what branch yet (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard) but I will serve this country. It can be very scary to join the military because you never know if you will ever go to war or come back home safely. If you do be very thankful you got through the military or the war.
Like I said, I love the Veterans Day program here. I have always seen people doing these speeches and always wanted to do it. Well, now here I am doing it! Thank you all for coming here today and have a great rest of your day.
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