This week we will observe Veterans Day. Is this just another national holiday to us? Did we stop to think about the meaning of this day for us and for our nation? All of us have family or friends who served or who are now serving in our nation’s Armed Forces to help keep our freedom secure. It is indeed appropriate that we honor and remember the countless number of those who have served our country. Many of them made the supreme sacrifice of giving their lives so that freedom would not be a dream but a reality for us.

In 1921, an unknown World War I American soldier was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. Many people came to the burial and military ceremony. This was the beginning of a celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. In 1954, President Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming Nov. 11 as Veterans Day. This annual observance should be important to each one of us.

As we honor our veterans, we know people from other countries are also very grateful to our American veterans. When we were traveling in Austria, one of our unscheduled stops was touring Mauthausen. This was a concentration camp during World War II. In, 1949, the Austrian Federal Government in cooperation with former camp inmates turned the concentration camp into a memorial open to the public. The sobering impact this visit made on us cannot be adequately described. It made us proud to know our country’s Armed Forces were a part of the liberation.

We need to remember with a prayer of gratitude all veterans who have served and those who are currently serving in our Armed Forces. May God bless America and all nations who cherish freedom!



Dr. Coleman is Emeritus Dean and Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Athens State University.