Veterans Day
November 11, 2019

Veterans Day is a federal holiday in the United States to honor military veterans. Originally called Armistice Day, it is celebrated in parallel with the international Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which are celebrated to mark the anniversary of the end of World War I. The major hostilities of WWI were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year 1918, when the Armistice of Germany went into effect. “Armistice” means an agreement by both sides to stop fighting. At the urging of major U.S. veteran organizations, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.

How is Veterans Day different from Memorial Day?

Veterans Day celebrates the service of all United States military veterans, while Memorial Day honors those who lost their lives while in military service. There’s one more military holiday, Armed Forces Day, on which we honor those currently serving in the U.S. military.

Veterans, Service Members, Warriors, Fighters, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, GIs, and Troupers are the most common names for these brave men and women. However, during our busy lives it may be easy to forget that they are also Husbands, Fathers, Brothers, Sons, Wives, Mothers, Sisters, Daughters, Friends, Neighbors, and just plain Americans.

These people do some of the hardest jobs there is, with little understanding from the civilians in their home towns. It’s hard to understand something you’ve never experienced. Suffice it to say that their job and their experiences in places like Korea, Vietnam, Libya, Grenada, the Persian Gulf, Somalia, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and other conflict riddled zones is likely much harder than we can imagine. A look at the chronological list shows some striking repeat conflicts.

(view the list here)

A day in the life of a soldier in a hot zone consists of a strict schedule of duties, training, and fitness with very little personal time. It’s also not just about fighting or dealing with the enemy. These soldiers are also diplomats dealing with, and caring for, the local citizens. These soldiers have a heart to serve others and there are thousands of stories about selfless acts of compassion and love they show to the civilian people. I remember reading about a soldier who shielded a child from harm during a fight, to her own detriment, and how a group of soldiers helped provide an entire village with water after local terrorists blew up their well. Without being ordered to do so, these men and women dug the well again and put it back in service, not asking for anything in return.

I recently lost my father, who was a Korean War veteran medic. His brothers were also veterans; one was a gunner on a battle ship and another drove the landing craft onto the beaches under heavy fire. All of them came home safely but not without scars. When asked if he was ever scared about going into battle, he said, “of course I was worried for your mother, but it didn’t do any good so I just trained hard, did my part and tried not to think about it”. He then came home and became one of the most respected chiropractors in Fort Worth, Texas. In fact, most soldiers choose service-related careers after coming home because that’s just who they are.

The spirit of selfless service to others, even at great risk to their own safety, is what we honor most about our military men and women.

From all of us at Empower Brokerage we want to say Thank You!

May God Bless you today and always.

Service Member and Veteran Help Program Highlights

Semper Fi Fund – https://semperfifund.org/
Founded in 2003 the Semper Fi Fund helps service members with treatment for PTSD, Suicide Prevention, Education and Career Integration and more. They’ve had a Charity Watch A+ rating for 9 consecutive years.
See Hero Stories https://semperfifund.org/our-impact/hero-stories/
and Testimonials https://semperfifund.org/our-impact/testimonials/ to see how the Semper Fi Fund has impacted the lives of service members and their families.

Wounded Warrior Project – https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/
An enormous array of services provided to veterans and service members who have incurred a physical or mental injury, illness, or wound while serving in the military on or after September 11, 2001
Success Stories https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/warriors-families