Leah Struckmeyer — According to Katherine Schaeffer’s article for the Pew Research Center, there are about 19 million United States veterans in our country today. That is 19 million people who fought to protect the core ideals of our country — the ones established by our Founding Fathers.
Our Declaration of Independence, which was written in 1776, states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These are the ideals which we used to break away from Great Britain and start the American Revolution — a war that lasted eight long, brutal years and earned America its independence.
Since then, America has fought in 12 different conflicts, all to protect these same ideals. Our veterans are crucial to life as we know it today because they protect our freedom, provide us with a way to learn about our history and the world around us, and risk their lives for people they have never met.
To begin, our veterans are of the utmost importance because they fought to protect the freedom our ancestors fought for 239 years ago. As Americans, we wake up every morning with the ability to dress how we want, say what we want, have relationships with people we choose, and decide what career we want to pursue.
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Ben Kleve —The veteran is one who served in the military. In the past, they played a role in preserving our country and our way of life, but once they leave the service, what kind of a role do they play in our country?
Our veterans leave the military with all kinds of skills and abilities, which allows them to fill many roles in our communities, states and country. Each Marine, sailor, soldier and airman is highly trained in their field. They can be trained to be anything — a cook, a satellite repair person, a medic, a bridge builder ... the list goes on and on.
Their individualized training surpasses most trade school programs, and they become experts in their fields. This allows them to bring skilled trade to whatever job or career they choose to follow once they leave the military. This seems to be a given, and most people expect this from a veteran.
Another thing expected is for a veteran to be a leader, of course. Leadership is taught in everyday life in the military. Even those of lower rank see the leadership from those above and are learning what makes a good leader. There are numerous schools dedicated to teaching these leadership skills to the men and women of the armed forces.
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