Often times in our society it has become easy, and dare we say habitual, to neglect the various national holidays celebrated in America. Some students who get the day off of school may think that Veterans Day is insignificant; although, after losing almost half a million soldiers since World War ll and having many veterans struggling today, Veterans Day needs to be recognized by people that have or do not have veterans in their family.

Veterans Day was created as a time to celebrate the brave men and women that have fought or are fighting for our country. From folding a flag correctly to going up to shake the hand of a past-soldier, a multitude of things can be done to show our appreciation towards our veterans. However, it seems that nowadays our generation’s highest level of respect for America’s veterans is shown through a retweet or a “Happy Veterans Day, where’s my day off?”. There is a certain level of respect that these men and women deserve for putting their life on the line for freedom, and a simple retweet or favorite on social media is just not doing it.

However, those who have been affected by the acts of a veteran, regardless of age, have a different outlook on what Veterans Day should be. Former Perry baseball player and graduate Chris Spelts, who has made the transition from student to Marine, commented, “Before, I just saw it as a day off from school, and then I got in and then I realized what it was actually for: it was for the ones who fought for us and the ones who served with us.”

There are many other individuals on campus that have been affected by veterans in their life times. For security guard Wayne Glashagel, fighting for freedom feels all too familiar. “We celebrated [Veterans Day] by putting the flag out in the cemetery,” Glashagel reminisced. “‘It wasn’t ‘party’ time; it was taken seriously. That’s something I wish people would do nowadays”

Maybe Glashagel and Spelts are right; maybe, even if we have not been directly affected by a veteran or someone currently in the armed forces, we should at least celebrate as if we have.

These proposals are a great start, but as a nation, and not just here in Arizona, we should not only promote, but act on these recognitions of heroic feats; it’s the level of respect and recognition these veterans deserve. Wouldn’t seeing flags waving tall inside the school campus or shaking a hand of a hero make you feel a sense of happiness?