By the late Dr. Dan Taylor; Minister of Senior Adults, First Baptist Church,Simpsonville, SC
There seems to be some confusion out there about how to correctly spell the name of the holiday that occurs on November 11th. Does it include an apostrophe or not. The answer is “not!” The holiday is not something that belongs to a specific veteran (veteran’s day) or exclusively to some or all veterans (veterans’ day). It is a day that is about veterans, hence no apostrophe since the word is used as an adjective. Is that too much grammar for one day?
How is it about Veterans? It is about them in the sense that the day is designed to make us think about them and who they are. They come from all walks of life, from every race and gender, every faith group, and every social group. The “who” they are is best summed up not in categorizing them by group, but by recognizing a common thread of resolve. Their oath of service includes the word “I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies ….”. The resolve is to serve, putting aside things they might rather do for something bigger that they feel they need to do. It’s called selfless service.
So, how do we honor the day? The simplest thing to do is to say thank you to a veteran. Most of us veterans will try to graciously acknowledge that. It is humbling to hear a “thank-you” but it is so appreciated. Many will talk about their time in service or reasons for service if given the opportunity. Sadly, fewer and fewer Americans are acquainted with any veterans.
Sharing is good for the Veteran and good for the one who has no frame of reference about military service. The veteran gets to continue to serve by “educating” and the hearer gets to see that those veterans are not all that different from them. The veteran needs the citizen for whom they served to remind them that their sacrifice was worth it. The citizen needs the veteran to remind themselves that privileges and opportunities are not things to be taken for granted – they were secured by someone else.
Many veterans are also senior adults. Their time in uniform is part of who they are and helps define them even now. Give them some relevance. Engage them. Vets, share your story with someone who has no clue! Those of you who have not served, take the time to get a vet’s perspective on service. Veterans know our day of service isn’t complete until Taps is sounded.
While service for country is a laudable effort and sacrifice, it should never be confused with or equated to service to God. The effectiveness of that service can be seen in the quality of faith embraced by the next generation, but it won’t be fully recognized until this life is over and our final accountability before God is rendered. I pray every veteran has the opportunity to see the enduring value of this service as well.
