Veterans' Day

[wurm]

Seems almost inappropriate to say 'Happy Veterans' Day, so I'll just say "Thanks" to all the veterans on this forum. And remember those who have left us.

-- oops. And as I was just reminded by an older brother, it's also Happy Birthday to the USMC!

[DP]

:patriot:

[freeradical]

wurm wrote:
Seems almost inappropriate to say 'Happy Veterans' Day, so I'll just say "Thanks" to all the veterans on this forum. And remember those who have left us.

-- oops. And as I was just reminded by an older brother, it's also Happy Birthday to the USMC!

Why inappropriate?

Now "Happy Memorial Day" is kind of an oxymoron...

[macphanatic]

freeradical wrote:
[quote=wurm]
Seems almost inappropriate to say 'Happy Veterans' Day, so I'll just say "Thanks" to all the veterans on this forum. And remember those who have left us.

-- oops. And as I was just reminded by an older brother, it's also Happy Birthday to the USMC!

Why inappropriate?

Now "Happy Memorial Day" is kind of an oxymoron...
Veterans Day is to honor those that served. Memorial Day honors those that made the ultimate sacrifice for us.

[TLB]

Is it today or tomorrow? Today is just the Federal day off, Veteran's Day is always November 11th.

[DeusxMac]

Actually, Veterans Day is tomorrow, November 11th, but some may have the day off today as it falls on a Saturday this year.

"Because it is a federal holiday, some American workers and many students have Veterans Day off from work or school. When Veterans Day falls on a Saturday then either Saturday or the preceding Friday may be designated as the holiday, whereas if it falls on a Sunday it is typically observed on the following Monday. When it falls on the weekend many private companies offer it as a floating holiday where employees can choose some other day. A Society for Human Resource Management poll in 2010 found that 21 percent of employers planned to observe the holiday in 2011."

[RAMd®d]

What he actually said was 'almost inappropriate.

For a lot of vets, it's just another day, and there's nothing happy about it.

For a lot of vets, the focus recalls memories that aren't happy.

For a lot of vets and others, it is a cause for celebrating survival and appreciation.

Though Veteran's Day and Memorial Day are not the same thing, it's not easy for some vets to make that distinction.

That someone might recognize the dichotomy of 'Happy Veteran's Day' is no doubt appreciated by some of those Vets and families of those beyond celebration.

I'm not one to rain on a parade, and don't believe anybody should feel guilty or awkward about 'happy', as that's what Veteran's Day is about — celebrating the appreciation of answering the call of duty.

Celebrating what we have, and not what we've lost — that's a good thing.

That someone recognizes it's possibly still a day of mixed emotions for others is appreciated.

Giving a nod to the underlying solemness on Veterans Day is appreciated, though certainly not a requirement.

I have mixed emotions about celebrating Veterans Day on any day other than 11 Nov because to me, that trivializes it to having a three-day weekend, which has been done in the past.

That's no cause for celebration, for me.

[macphanatic]

RAMd®d wrote:
What he actually said was 'almost inappropriate.

For a lot of vets, it's just another day, and there's nothing happy about it.

For a lot of vets, the focus recalls memories that aren't happy.

For a lot of vets and others, it is a cause for celebrating survival and appreciation.

Though Veteran's Day and Memorial Day are not the same thing, it's not easy for some vets to make that distinction.

That someone might recognize the dichotomy of 'Happy Veteran's Day' is no doubt appreciated by some of those Vets and families of those beyond celebration.

I'm not one to rain on a parade, and don't believe anybody should feel guilty or awkward about 'happy', as that's what Veteran's Day is about — celebrating the appreciation of answering the call of duty.

Celebrating what we have, and not what we've lost — that's a good thing.

That someone recognizes it's possibly still a day of mixed emotions for others is appreciated.

Giving a nod to the underlying solemness on Veterans Day is appreciated, though certainly not a requirement.

I have mixed emotions about celebrating Veterans Day on any day other than 11 Nov because to me, that trivializes it to having a three-day weekend, which has been done in the past.

That's no cause for celebration, for me.

No surprise that it's mixed for many Vets, especially those that lost brothers along the way. I never served but have friends and family who did. I see and hear about some of the challenges.

[wurm]

You are of course, correct about the date. I saw it on the calendar and missed the "Observed". Happy or otherwise, I'll just go with "Thank you".

[davemchine]

This isn’t mine but I thought it was a good haiku

Waving flags
Separating patriots
From patriots