Veteran’s Day is a holiday that is formerly called Armistice Day that commemorates the armistice between the Allies and Germany in World War I. It took effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. In the Commonwealth it’s known as Remembrance Day to remember those that have died in the line of duty. In the United States it honors all military veterans.



There are many different types of jobs that military servicemen can hold, but the common theme among them is sacrifice. The infantryman sacrifices for long months in the most barren areas of the world. He sacrifices years of his life in combat zones and sacrifices bodily harm — some more so than others. Some are hit by flak, some are blown up, some are shot. Some are medevaced and some are patched up and step outside the wire again because they can’t bear the thought of letting their friends down. He sacrifices his emotion as he leaves the combat and steps back into civilization. Many sacrifice their ability to un-see their friends falling apart and killed in front of them. Others wish that it were them instead and live with the guilt that they survived and others didn’t.

The medic, the corpsman, the nurse sacrifices daily to keep friends and strangers alive. They may live with the horror of losing someone in their care, whether the victim could have been saved or not. The maintainer works on aircraft, vehicles, and other pieces of equipment that others rely on. They pull extended duty to make the impossible happen whether at home or deployed. They keep the world functioning for pilots and drivers. They provide covering fire as door gunners, they ensure the safety of their cargo, whether it’s human or supplies. They sacrifice back-breaking hours and efforts to assist those in the direct action, often finding themselves in the thick of it.

The special operations units engage in dangerous missions, putting their lives at risk daily for recognition that they will never receive. The things that they accomplish are hardly televised, they will never receive thanks, and often their job isn’t known or understood by a civilian. And they wouldn’t want it any other way.

Above all, each soldier, Marine, sailor, and airman sacrifices freedom. They are held to higher standards, meticulous laws and orders. They are taken from their families and often miss their children being born or growing up. They cannot travel on a whim and are underpaid. They lose relationships, break their bodies, and struggle with their memories. They know their country will never fully pay them back for everything that they’ve sacrificed. They lose the freedoms and liberties that a civilian takes for granted, but in the end…they, above all, earn that freedom.

Some veterans still find it odd to be thanked for what they do, but they should know that the thanks is there.

It’s also PR Friday. Post training updates or PRs to comments. Weight is irrelevant — you don’t have to be strong as everyone else to post here, just work hard. What is your least favorite lift to do?
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