On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month fighting ceased between Allied Nations and Germany during World War I.  This is the start to Veterans Day.  It is a day designated to honoring those who serve us.  It is a day to thank men and women who fought for our freedom to believe what we want, fought for our right to vote and fought for a liberating life for the American people.
This is no small matter and that is why it is shocking to see Veterans Day go by unacknowledged or even unnoticed by many students today. When asked when Veterans Day is, many could not answer.  
It is easy to go about your daily life and not take a second thought to what Nov. 11 means until you see a flag at half-staff or a restaurant giving free food to someone in a uniform.  These are moments when it is necessary to think about the people who fought so selflessly for our freedom. They are who this day is for.
It is for men and women who relinquished the comforts of home to fight in a world of uncertainty. That new world is not one overflowing with mama’s best homemade dish, but it is one that will offer prosperity for our country and our people.
The veterans deserve more than a day to be acknowledged and thanked. If anything should make our younger generation realize the greatness in recognizing and appreciating veterans, it is the fact that many of our peers are now joining or have already joined the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard or Marines.  It is when people we know are going to foreign lands that everything becomes more real for us.  
It is my hope that as we see our friends and classmates join the Military and come home that more of our younger generation will recognize Veterans Day and more importantly the veterans.
Many people across America do a variety of things to honor the veterans. Many businesses give free or discounted items, churches hold services in honor of veterans, there are parades and more.  It does not have to be this elaborate for one to honor a veteran, though.  
We can take a few minutes to think about the veterans and what they fought for if that is all the time we have in between tests and jobs.  We have the power to go beyond that though.
We can do something as simple as writing a letter to a soldier or veteran.
We can even help in our own grounds.  A student-organization called The Southeastern Students Veterans Association is promoting the assistance of veterans entering or returning to college.  To get more information on this group contact Rene Abadie, Southeastern director of public information, at [email protected].