After what has felt like years of non-stop campaigning, news coverage, polling, analysis, and predictions, our nation finally elected its 47th president. Sadly, the sharp, sometimes heated disagreement and discord of the campaign season didn’t end on Election Day.
We had hoped matters would be settled and the pace and temperature of the conversation might abate, but alas, here we are. Yet, even in the wake of a raucous election, we cannot overlook our nation’s annual celebration of the brave men and women who fought for our freedom – including the right to vote.
This year, we cannot forget Veterans Day.
A Day to Remember
On November 11, 1918, the Allied forces agreed to an armistice with Germany. This was seven months before the signing of the Treaty of Versailles that formally ended World War I, but in some ways November 11 was the more significant day.
On that day, 106 years ago, the fighting finally came to an end. Peace had triumphed and good had conquered evil. But at a dear and devastating cost. During the course of the war, an estimated 8.5 million combatants and 13 million civilians were killed, making it by far the bloodiest war in history at the time.
And after over four years of fighting, it came to an end on that Monday in November, which is why we still celebrate Veterans Day on November 11.
A Legacy of Bravery
On Veterans Day, we not only honor those who bravely served this country in WWI. We also remember all the veterans who have sacrificed for our freedom and those who continue to ensure we can enjoy that freedom today.
The U.S. Census Bureau reported in 2023 that there were 16.2 million veterans living in the United States. That’s over 6% of the nation’s population. Since 1775, however, when the Continental Army was created, over 41 million men and women have served in some capacity.
Whenever needs on foreign or domestic soil have developed, Americans have risen to the occasion and served with courage. It is their legacy that we remember and honor on Veterans Day. It is their lives and sacrifice that deserve our reverence.
But this year, their legacy is in danger of being forgotten and overlooked.
Lest We Forget
This year, Veterans Day is just six days after the presidential election. And if the months leading up to Nov. 5 are anything to go by, the election and its aftermath will continue to dominate headlines and capture the attention of the nation.
While understandable, the dominance of such political commentary has tremendous potential to overshadow the heroes we celebrate on Veterans Day.
Simply put, that cannot be allowed to happen. We owe our veterans a day of honor and remembrance. They have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice so much so that we can enjoy the freedoms that characterize America. They are the reason we have a democracy. They are the reason we can vote.
Pepperdine’s university theme this year is freedom – and the freedom we experience at the societal level could not exist without the sacrifices of veterans. G.K. Chesterton said that “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.”
We would do well to remember – and honor – all that our veterans have given up so we can live in freedom.
Breaking the Cycle
Mere remembrance, in and of itself, will never be enough. Action is needed, and this Veterans Day, it is our turn to give back to those who have sacrificed so much for us. The truth is, veterans need our support. We as citizens must take steps to assist and uplift veterans who are all too often overlooked by society.
This is a heartbreaking reality, and the president-elect would do well to lead the way in breaking the destructive cycle in which veterans often find themselves. Initiatives in the areas of stable housing, career development, mental health, and transitioning to civilian life can and will make a difference. And each is another way we can show that we see and honor their sacrifice.
The Way Forward
The United States was founded on the principles of freedom, and no one knows that better than the courageous men and women we honor on Veterans Day. But the adage is true: Freedom is not free. Freedom requires sacrifice.
On this Veterans Day, we say thank you to all veterans and their families who have given up more than we can understand so the citizens of this nation can continue to enjoy the freedoms we hold so dear.
Jim Gash is president of Pepperdine University.
