Features

Veterans Day and All the Students Who Have Served
by C.R. Haworth

The diverse culture that comprises the student population of Grossmont Community College includes many faces from different backgrounds and cultures. Helping to contribute to the diversity is a little recognized student known as the "veteran." And Veterans Day is meant to honor them.

Veterans Day is a holiday that officially celebrates the sacrifice and hard work that young men and women across the nation have endured through military service. Veterans Day started off under the name of Armistice Day – a day set aside to recognize the sacrifice of the fighting forces of World War I. However, war is rarely a one-time deal, and as the years progressed, more and more conflicts came into being. World War II and the Korean War made Congress realize that changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day would probably be a wise move. So, instead of recognizing the end of the First World War, Nov. 11 would mark a day to acknowledge veterans of all wars.

There are a number of reasons boys and girls across America join the ranks of the Armed Forces – some join to escape the dregs of their hometown, some do it for national pride, and some do it for the sense of adventure in it all. However, the majority of the men and women who enlist do so for the unparalleled educational benefits that accompany it.

Everyone who joins has the opportunity to buy into the Montgomery G.I. Bill, an entitlement of $30,000 for the educational advancement of the enlistee, though in recent months, that number has been increasing with Congressional approval. For low-income families or for students unfortunate enough to miss out on scholarships, the G.I. Bill gives the opportunity to further their education.

Justin, a veteran of the Navy of six years and a sophomore in college, said, "The G.I. Bill gave me another chance to finish up what I started years ago."

"The things I’ve learned in the military are way more serious than the stuff I’m learning in English." Patrick, another vet and freshman, joked. "So I guess the military kind of prepared me for school."

Veterans Day is a great way to honor these students – and give them a much-needed break from the monotonous grind of college.

There are those people in the community, however, who feel that Veterans Day is an unnecessary holiday meant to glorify war. Some see this holiday as a chance for the "right" to push a pro-war agenda. Others use this day as a platform for their political views. According to the Associated Press, in Waco, Texas, Monday, it was speculated that President Bush was going to use his Veterans Day speech as a stage for talking to Congress about a spending bill. He did not, though – he kept it about the soldiers who have come and gone.

The politics going on in Washington, D.C., however, are not what Veterans Day is all about. It is a time to sit down and think about the people who have sacrificed their time, family, and lives to ensure that everyone has a voice in this nation. It just so happens, too, that the veterans who are being recognized aren’t necessarily just the soldiers fighting across the globe – they are the people you share notes with in Biology class, the guys you study with in the Tech Mall, and the girls you buy text books from after the semester is done.

Before you think that Veterans Day was just another excuse to skip Monday class, think about the reason behind the holiday, and that the person it’s meant for might be closer than you think.