The Reason for Verteran's Day

Well, it’s Veteran’s Day here in the USA.  Restaurants are having specials for current and former members of the armed forces and stores are having their crazy Veteran’s Day sales.  On television “Apocalypse Now” and “Saving Private Ryan” are running as if to give different points of view on warfare.  I may sound old fashioned here but something seems to be missing.  The commercialization of this holiday seems out of place.  As a child we would have assemblies at school and read, “In Flanders’s Field”.  Then we would have veterans talk about their experiences and we would all wear poppies.  Granted, I was in Canada at the time but I would expect a greater show of remembrance here in America.  I asked my daughter if they did anything at all in school today to honor Veteran’s Day and she said, “No but it is ‘Say no to drugs week’.”  There were no services or speeches.  A part of me just felt sad inside.  I looked forward to seeing those poppies as a child and yet I wonder if it was ever done over here.  This is a day to hold up our defenders and thank them for protecting us so we can go about our daily lives.  It is a day to remember the many who have fallen in pursuit of that task.  The military has touched nearly every family in the country including mine.  I think they deserve more than just a sale at Payless Shoes.