Students share their thoughts on Veteran’s Day: Houlton High

17 years ago
By Brian Folsom

What Veteran’s Day means to me is to honor the men and women would fought and died to protect us, our families and our freedom. We celebrate this to show that we care for our soldiers and to honor their sacrifice and to show that we remember the soldiers who were captured or tortured. We remember their sacrifices.

By Jacque Keaton

To me, Veteran’s Day is a day to honor the people who served to protect us. It’s a day to honor people who died during a war or someone that’s in a war now. It’s a day to recognize the men and women for their bravery and commitment to their country. It’s for honoring my family and friends who served and to let them know that we do care about what they did for us and future generations to come.

By Madison Lezotte

To some people, Veteran’s Day just means a day off school. A day to sleep in, no homework, just doing nothing all day. But for me, it’s not that way at all. Veteran’s Day is a day to remember and honor those who fought in any war, especially loved ones.
This day is one of the few days when everyone forgets about their petty differences and comes together for anyone and everyone who has fought or maybe is still fighting for us today.
If it wasn’t for them, we would not be the strong-standing nation we are today. Everyone is always complaining about something; it doesn’t matter what it is. But think about it: if we did not have people fighting for us each and every day then we wouldn’t be able to control even what we complain about.
So when someone asks what Veteran’s Day means to me, my answer isn’t always a day off from school. It’s a day that makes me remember and honor the people who have fought and died for the free nation we live in today.

By Hiba Bilal

Veteran’s Day is a day to reflect upon and be thankful for everyone who has served in the Army to protect us. They are risking their lives and many have died just so we can be safe. If that’s not the greatest sacrifice, I don’t know what is. Many have left their families for an untold amount of time to go serve in the war. We should be thankful for everyone who has ever been in the Army and Veteran’s Day is a day to do that.

By Justin Smith

Veteran’s Day means to honor, respect and give thanks to all the men and women who have served in any of the conflicts the United States has been involved in or is involved in right now from the American Revolution to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
These men and women are the people who keep everyone in our great country safe and free. They also make sure that everyone around this world has the same freedoms we do as citizens of the United States of America.

By Maggie Ponder

November 11, Veteran’s Day.
My father and grandfather both served in the military. My dad has passed away, but my grandpa is still here for me. When Nov. 11 comes my way, it’s a time for me and my family to reflect upon my dad and grandpa. The lives we have now are because of their greatness.
Without my dad, grandpa and several other veterans, we may not have the life we have today. God bless the veterans and the soldiers who are currently serving in Iraq. We love you all!

By Corey Woodworth

Veteran’s Day to me means a day to honor the men and women who fought in all the different wars that made our world what it is today. It’s just a day to say ‘thank you’ to those who have risked their lives and the lives of others to let us have the freedom that we have today. And I really appreciate the men and women who have done that.

By Jake Peabody

Veteran’s Day reminds me why so many people have died and are still dying. These people are fighting for our safety, and I don’t think that many people even think about it.
It might mean a day off from school. Yeah, so what. Not many people realize why all of these men and women died.
It was all for our freedom.
Veteran’s Day is a day to remember all those who are responsible for our freedom.

By Kelsey Harris

Veteran’s Day is a day where we stop to remember family or loved ones or, well, anyone who was in a war. Imagine what life today would be like if they hadn’t served for our country.
Veteran’s Day should be a day to recognize everyone and to think of how they helped our country. Some loved ones may have gotten killed and some survived, but if it wasn’t for their hard work, life would probably be a lot different than what it is today.
So on this day people need to take time to think of what might be different now if there wasn’t war then. So be thankful for what you have.

By Courtney Cote

Anyone who defends our country is a very thoughtful person.
Being a veteran takes a lot of courage and you have to be very strong, both physically and emotionally. There are people out there who put their life on the line every day for others and even leave their homes and families to a possible sacrifice of never returning.
This is what Veteran’s Day means to me.

By Ian Small

Veteran’s Day doesn’t really mean as much as it should to many of us. Many students only enjoy the day because there is no school which isn’t right.
Myself having parents and grandparents who have fought for their country, it means a little more to me. When I think of Veteran’s Day, I think of all the heroic soldiers who have given their lives fighting for their country.
That’s what I believe it should be about: remembering the men and women who fought and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives instead of the objective or outcome of the war in which they fought.

By Max Rush

Veteran’s Day means a lot to me although I have had no affiliation with the military nor have ever seen combat.
I think that is the reason it means a lot to me. I can’t imagine the courage it takes to step on to a battlefield to face the prospect of possible demise. This courage, that so many of these veterans have, is why I give my utmost respect to the people who have served this country. Respect for doing something brave. Something I have never even wanted to think about doing. Respect for fighting for Americans. Also, for some, respect for veterans who don’t get the treatment they deserve when they return from fighting overseas.
This is why when Veteran’s Day rolls around, I make sure to stand up straight and pay respect to the crowd of veterans in front of me at the annual memorial service.

By Tiffany Bossie

Veteran’s Day is the reason this country stands today. It’s a day for people to get together and thank those who risked their lives to help us, people they didn’t even know. It’s a day to thank those men and women who fought in World War II so the future would be more bright for the rest of us.
It’s a day to thank the people who went to Vietnam and had no idea what they were in for. It’s a day to celebrate our troops fighting for us and our children in Iraq right now. It’s a day where, nation wide, we celebrate all the lives loved and lost.

By Tara Lawlor

I believe Veteran’s Day is very important. There are many brave soldiers fighting for our country and some people take advantage of it. There are people who talk bad about war and that there’s no need of it. But no matter what, there are lives out there at risk and we need to be proud of them and appreciate what they do.
Everyone should be thankful for what they have. America is a great place to live and it wouldn’t be like that if it wasn’t for our brave soldiers.

By Ryan Hill

What does Veteran’s Day mean to me? Respect, honor, courage, determination and the will to keep going when things look grim and knowing that as long as our country exists we will fight our hardest to be free. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

By Scott Anderson

What Veteran’s Day means to me:  my freedom, your freedom, our peace today. Those veterans today and those from years ago have made a great impact in the United States. For putting their lives at risk for today’s lives, these veterans play a great role and they deserve a special day for all those who died and for all those who are alive. My thanks goes out to all.

By Tiffany Edwards

Veteran’s Day means a lot to me because the people from our country fought for our rights and for country to have freedom. They don’t fight because they can or just for fun. They fight because they have a reason.
When people attack our country, we have to defend ourselves and they are just asking for a fight. The people that are in or were in the Army, Navy, etc. are here to protect and to keep our country safe.
The veterans are our HEROS! I appreciate everything they do for our country. People die fighting for our country. I believe they should all be supported. It makes me feel safe. They are great people who put their lives on the line.