Veteran

If you look in the dictionary for the word veteran, the definition is clear, precise, and accurate. You will discover something like: “a person who has had long service or experience in an occupation, office, or of many sports competitions.” And the second definition consists of something like: “a person who has served in a military force, especially who has fought in a war,” which is slightly more accurate in this case.

For just a moment imagine you had absolutely no idea what a veteran is. So, you searched for a definition, which is what most of us would do just out of curiosity. The definition you find really does no justice to veterans and what they risked and gave up in order to defend what we are fortunate enough to call the United States of America; the land of the free and the home of the brave.

We can never really understand what veterans went through, but as a country, America established a special day to acknowledge our soldiers and past and present. We take time on this day to honor them, appreciate them, listen to their stories, and finally, to thank them.

One day is not nearly enough to thank veterans and current military for your service and dedication. But I think we all would like to take this time to say thank you for being “a person who has served in a military force, especially who has fought in a war.” Thank you for being that, and all that goes beyond that definition.

Lydia, eighth grade