v5n47-fought.html

Remembering those who fought

Nov. 11, came and went without too much fanfare at Cal State Long Beach. The Daily Forty-Niner celebrated its 49th anniversary, and students came and went to their classes without much change. Did anyone know it was Veterans Day?


Jay Seidel

Besides banks and post offices being closed, students and some faculty and staff members are often unaffected by this holiday. Many people on this campus do not understand what the holiday is about.

Veterans Day is celebrated on the day that the armistice was reached ending World War I. The oliday was established to honor U.S. veterans who returned from serving their nation during the first world conflict.

Many people confuse this holiday with Memorial Day, a day dedicated to remembering those who gave their lives for their country.

The name of the holiday was changed from Armistice Day to Veterans Day at the end of World War II in order to include our nation's veterans of that war, and of wars thereafter.

Although most of us got the day off in grade school, the holiday goes relatively unnoticed on a college campus.

Now veterans of the two world wars may not be in an abundance on this campus, but veterans of the Korean and Vietnam war are more common. Some of this campus' own faculty and staff served during these conflicts. As a matter of fact, I know of a few students here that served during the Vietnam War.

Still, these veterans are few on this campus compared to the total population, and most of today's students may still find it hard to relate to and conceptualze the meaning of Veterans Day.

There are students here, in their 20s, who were placed in harms way for our country. Desert Storm took place in 1991, and many former soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen now attend this university finishing their degrees. I myself am one of these veterans and know what it is like to serve my country.

Although our country is at peace, our veterans should not be forgotten. Veterans Day is a day for all of us, as Americans, to remember and honor those who served their country in a time of war, and to hope for a lasting peace.