Veterans Essay

The question “When is the right time to honor our veterans?” cannot be answered in a simple sentence. Many answers are hidden in that one question. I think that we always honor our military heroes, whether we know it or not.
My mother works as the assistant director at the department of veterans affairs. She tells me many moving stories that give me good reason to honor veterans all the time. The first was of a new veteran, who was shot and paralyzed from the war in Iraq. My mom was visiting the medical center and happened upon him. Soon they started talking and he told her about himself. He told my mom how he and his buddies loved to play poker. He was especially excited when he explained that he was going to Las Vegas, but he had to wait a year because he was not old enough. So he was old enough to go fight and be shot in the war, but not old enough to gamble.
The next story takes place on Memorial Day. My mother was at the veteran’s cemetery to honor them, and she saw many breathtaking things. The veterans of World War 2 were sitting near the front, and when the national anthem played, they all stood up. They stood up out of their wheelchairs, and put their shaking hands over their heart to honor America. My mother told me many other stories, and I realized that veterans all have one thing in common, extreme selflessness.
I have one last reason we should honor veterans everyday, and all the time. My great- Grandmother Dorothy Victoria Williams was in the first group of women to ever be in the military, and she was never sorry she did it, because she loved helping her country, and the adventure! Being related to one of the first females in the military gives me great pride, and she is a hero to me.
Being in the military is not an easy job at all, and I cannot even begin to understand the stress of it. I do know that veterans are courageous, selfless people who deserve to be recognized for what they have done. Military heroes, like my great grandmother, should be honored all the time because all the time in the world would not make up for what they have done for us.