It's November. Somehow, we've managed to survive midterms and the stress that comes with them. Although the bulk of stress is yet to come, we have one tiny break to give us some relief: Thanksgiving Break. For a lot of people, Thanksgiving is a time where we get to see all the family and friends we've missed so dearly. It is a time where we can gather and be thankful for everything we have and everything we have survived (like midterms). But, the thankfulness shouldn't start on the holiday it's named after. Personally, I think the thankfulness should start on Nov. 11, also known as Veteran's Day.
This is a day where we honor, celebrate, and thank those who have sacrificed and survived. This is a holiday that I hold close to my heart, and I want to share with you why you should thank those who have served for us, our country and our freedom.
He was 17-years-old and dropped out of high school to enter the service. He decided he wanted to serve as a paratrooper and started his training for Grenada. On a Saturday night during training, he was practicing landing with parachutes. He boarded the plane and went through the strict regimen of checking his equipment. 12 hours later, he dropped from the plane. Although he checked his equipment, he seemed to be falling faster than usual. He looked up and saw a tiny hole in his parachute. Because he was falling quickly, he did not have time to readjust. He knew he was in trouble when he crashed through some trees and his equipment was not off. Then he crashed to the ground, was unable to stand up and thought he was dead. His first sergeant found him and called him an ambulance. They x-rayed his feet and knees and sent him home. After a year of intense pain and physical therapy, they decided to operate. He was sent back to duty, finished up his tour and because he didn’t pass the physical exam, he was medically retired from the army.
He decided to go back to school. He passed the GED and CLEP test, so he continued with a college education at Temple and then graduated from Widener University School of Law. Six months into his career as a lawyer, he became permanently disabled. One day he went to pick up boxes in his law firm and then he went numb from his hips to his toes. He ruptured two discs in his back. After surgery, he contracted a rare infection called Osteomilitis discitis, which ate at his spine. From that day forward his condition continued to worsen, and he is medically considered a partial paraplegic. He is unable to feel his feet, and he has numbness throughout different parts of his legs with severe pain in his lower back and hips. The "he" to whom I am referring is my dad.
He sacrificed his everything for his family and his country. When I ask him if he would change things, he always says no. In fact, his pride for his country is so strong, he says that if he were healthy enough to serve again, he would. His story is just one of the many service men and women who have endured so much for the safety and freedom of our country. Their pride for their country is infectious.
November is here, and it is time to be thankful for everything. Don't just wait until Thanksgiving to be thankful. On Nov. 11, when you see someone who has served our country, thank them. They are people who have sacrificed; they are people who have survived. I am proud to be the daughter of someone who has honor, valor, discipline, determination, and loyalty. In the song "Chicken Fried" by Zac Brown Band, lyrics read, "I thank God for my life, for the stars and stripes. Make freedom forever fly, let it ring. Salute the ones who died. The ones that give their lives. So we don't have to sacrifice all the things we love."
Here is a big salute and thank you to my dad and to every man and woman who have served our country. This is a time to be thankful for everything you have survived!
