Veteran's Day calls us to honor lives of service

By Celina Holmes

WASHINGTON

As Americans, we honor our veterans yearly on Nov. 11, a date which historically marks the anniversary of the end of World War I in 1918. Washington, D.C., is the heart of our nation and, as such, this city celebrates Veteran's Day with special wreath-laying ceremonies at the monuments and memorials which attract pools of camera-carrying, map-toting tourists and host special events in honor of America's veterans and current service members.

Today, Veteran's Day honors the surviving veterans of all wars for their patriotism, bravery and willingness to serve.

I participated in the Army Reserve Officer's Training Corps at Santa Clara in the beginning years of my college life. Through this program, I saw unity, teamwork, integrity and pride among those individuals who have served in the past, present, and those who will serve in the future.

I admire any individual who commits themselves to service: commissioning as an officer within the armed forces means a path toward a career in an organization many have grown to respect and admire.

It also means a life of travel, excitement and opportunity to expand horizons as an officer, leader and patriot.

But we are Americans who want nothing to do with someone else's war. As college students, we've studied foreign policy and cultures. We all know our history and our politics and we recognize the importance of Middle Eastern oil to European and Asian powers.

We carry pens and notebooks as we walk, but there are men and women who carry machine guns. We've all heard surviving veterans claim that they never understood the reasons for the conflict they were dropped into.

But we've come to realize now that this war isn't our fathers' war. It's ours. And although this is a war that not many believe in, this is a war that our soldiers, sailors and airmen are fighting each and every day.

These days, we have soldiers out there who have scouted and ventured ahead, knocked dust and sand from their boots, and waited patiently for relief from their comrades. There are soldiers on the other side of this world perched on concrete ground or shifting sands, hunting for comfort that isn't there.

There are soldiers whose units have outlasted all other units in their tenure. There are soldiers who have had their optimism replaced by hatred and fear. There are soldiers who have feigned confidence amid increasing insurgent attacks. They are soldiers who have been deployed to protect our freedom and security.

Images of rumbling, monstrous tanks in the darkness would make any of us swallow hard. Visions of dead soldiers, their blood mixing with the dry, desert sand as they are slowly buried by sand storms, would make any of us gasp in horror.

This war is more than just strategically placing large, brown circus tents to dot the desert landscape. It is more than just deploying men and women, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, cousins, friends and loved ones, to a land where brown blots out the sky and sand ominously covers the landscape like fog. It is more than just putting boots on the ground in a land of religious deference and oppressive heat.

These are our men and women who should never be forgotten or unnoticed. Every individual who has ever donned a uniform -- be it with decorated honor, awards or just the honor of belonging -- deserves the love and gratitude of every man, woman and child in this country.

I encourage you to join your fellow Americans in honoring veterans for their patriotism and willingness to serve in sacrifice for our country.

Celina Holmes is a senior political science major.