veterans day essay high school

Veterans Day Essay Contest

Congratulations to our winners of the 2023 veterans day student essay contest, the winners of the 2023 “student leadership in america” essay contest are:, middle school winner: david contreras, “mr. graham nelms”.

8th Grade, Contreras Home School in Henrico County (Teacher: Rachel Contreras)

Read DAVID’s winning essay here

High School Winner: Mia Ramos,  “An Unsung Hero”

11 th Grade, W. T. Woodson High School in Fairfax County (Teacher: Ashley Kipperman)

Read Mia’s winning essay here

Both winners received a gift package, presented by McDonald’s Owner-Operators of Richmond and Hampton Roads, Virginia.

McDonald’s Marketing Representative Christina Dick alongside the 2023 Essay Contest Winners, Mia Ramos and David Contreras

2023 Runner up: 

High School: Alice Shin, Veterans Day Essay

10th Grade, Battlefield High School in Prince William County (Teacher: Daniel Vasenko)

Prompt: Write about a Virginian who served in the United States military during the Korean War era whose story inspires you.

July of 2023 marked the seventy-year anniversary of the conclusion of the Korean War (1950-1953). To honor those men and women who served in the military during the war in Asia, the Virginia War Memorial is calling on all students to write about a service member who inspires them.

The subject of your essay may be someone your family knows or knew personally, or it may be the story of a Virginia Korean War era veteran that you have researched. When selecting the subject of your essay, consider your family, members of your community, or others whose stories resonate with you personally. He or she may be from any branch of the military and have served at any time during the Korean War. Consider what lessons they have taught you, and what we could all learn from their example. Your essay should focus on their time in service, though you may also address their time as a civilian or veteran if relevant.

You may develop your response through speaking with an individual, speaking with people who knew them, and using primary sources. Personal interviews are encouraged, but feel free to utilize newspaper records, personal stories, military records, letters, books, internet research, or more to tell us about your subject and why they inspire you.

A great place for information about Virginians who served in the Korean War is the archives at the Virginia War Memorial. Archivist Sylvia Marshall has access to archival material and oral histories that can help you to create an essay. Feel free to reach out to her at [email protected] and let her know that you are researching for the Veteran’s Day Essay Contest.

The Virginia Military Dead Database created by the Library of Virginia is another great resource.

Successful essays will have a clear focus, address the theme directly, and use a combination of cited sources and personal experiences. Students must properly cite their sources in a bibliography (APA or MLA style) and include the bibliography with their submission. Entries will be judged on clarity of thought, grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and adherence to the contest theme and guidelines.

PRINTABLE PROMPT

Essay Contest Rules & Guidelines:

1. This contest is open to all Virginia Middle and High School public, private, or homeschooled students. A winning entry will be chosen from each Grade Range (grades 6-8 and 9-12).

2. Submissions must be between 500-750 words and use at least one primary source. Students must properly cite their sources in a bibliography (APA or MLA style) and include the bibliography with their submission.

3. Entries will be judged on clarity of thought, adherence to the contest theme and guidelines, and proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

4. Entries are due Sunday, October 15 by 11:59 p.m. Entries received after this time will not be considered.

5. Entries should be submitted online HERE

6. First place winners (in the grades 6-8 and 9-12 categories) will receive a prize package through McDonalds of Richmond and Hampton Roads. Winners will also be invited to read their winning essays aloud at the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Veterans Day Ceremony on Friday, November 10, 2023.

7. By submitting an entry, the student agrees that the work is original and unassisted. The Virginia War Memorial Foundation holds the right to publish any submissions to this contest on its website and in other print materials (with credit to the author).

Printable Rules

Veterans Day ,

Veterans Day Essays for All Grades and Ages (10 Samples)

October 18, 2023, 3:17 am 118 Views 0 Comments

Veterans Day holds a special place in the heart of our nation, a day to honor the selfless sacrifices of our military heroes. Recognizing the importance of imparting this sentiment to every generation, we’ve meticulously curated 10 essays , each resonating with a distinct age group.

From the curious minds of elementary students to the analytical thinkers in high school, these essays are tailored to provide a deeper understanding. Infused with personal anecdotes and historical insights, our collection aims to bridge the age gap, fostering a shared appreciation for Veterans Day. We invite you to journey through these narratives, each echoing the expertise and dedication behind its creation.

Starting with this quote :

Heroism is seen in the sacrifice that you gave.

Now, let’s delve into the essays and explore the many facets of Veterans Day.

Veterans Day Essays for Grade 11 to 12

Table of Contents

1. Veterans Day: Honoring Through Reflection and Understanding

Veterans Day holds a profound significance in our nation’s heart. It’s a day dedicated to recognizing the unparalleled sacrifices and the enduring legacy of service by our veterans. These brave individuals, through their stories of valor, have not only protected our freedoms but have also shaped the very fabric of our society.

The weight of their sacrifice is immeasurable. From the battlefields to the home front, their stories resonate with courage, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to the values we hold dear. As we reflect on Veterans Day, it’s essential to delve deeper into understanding these sacrifices, ensuring that their contributions are never taken for granted.

However, understanding alone isn’t enough. Our role as a society extends beyond mere reflection. We must actively support and engage with our veterans, ensuring they receive the recognition they rightfully deserve. This means creating platforms for their stories, fostering environments where their experiences are shared, and continuously educating the younger generations about the importance of Veterans Day.

By doing so, we not only honor our veterans but also strengthen our nation’s bond, ensuring that the legacy of service continues to inspire future generations. As we move forward, let’s pledge to make every day a day of gratitude, reflection, and understanding, keeping the spirit of Veterans Day alive throughout the year.

From : Jessica Martinez

Grade : 12th

Interests : History, Civic Engagement, Literature

Have you seen this: 40+ Thank You Veterans Quotes

2. Veterans Day: The Evolution of a Nation’s Gratitude

Introduction:

Veterans Day, celebrated annually on November 11th, has evolved in its significance and observance. From its origins post-World War I to its contemporary observance, it reflects a nation’s evolving relationship with its military and veterans.

From Armistice Day to Veterans Day:

Initially commemorated as Armistice Day, November 11th marked the end of World War I. However, as the U.S. found itself embroiled in subsequent conflicts, the day’s significance expanded to honor all veterans, leading to its renaming in 1954.

A Nation’s Gratitude:

The way Veterans Day is observed has evolved over the decades. While parades, ceremonies, and moments of silence remain staples, there’s a growing emphasis on understanding the diverse experiences of veterans, from those who served in World War II to those returning from recent conflicts.

The Future of Veterans Day:

As society becomes more interconnected and globalized, Veterans Day offers an opportunity for reflection on global peace and the role of diplomacy. It’s essential to honor the past while also envisioning a future where conflicts are resolved without resorting to war.

Conclusion:

Veterans Day, with its rich history and evolving significance, serves as a bridge between the past and the future. It’s a day to honor those who have served while also reflecting on the broader implications of war and peace in a globalized world.

3. Veterans Day: More Than Just a Day Off School

Every year, as November rolls around, I can’t help but notice the buzz in school about the upcoming Veterans Day holiday. For many, it’s just another day off, a break from the usual grind of assignments and tests. But this year, I decided to dig deeper, to understand what this day truly means.

I started by talking to my grandpa, a World War II veteran. Over a cup of his favorite black tea, he shared stories of his time in the army, the friends he made, and those he lost. It was an afternoon of laughter, tears, and a whole lot of reflection. It made me realize that Veterans Day isn’t just about honoring those who served; it’s about understanding their stories, their sacrifices, and the world they helped shape.

In our digital age, it’s easy to forget the past. We’re so caught up in the now, the latest trends, the viral videos. But there’s so much to learn from the past, from the people who’ve been there, done that. Veterans Day is our chance to reconnect, to listen, and to learn.

So, this Veterans Day, I challenge my peers to do the same. Let’s take a moment to talk to a veteran, be it a family member, a neighbor, or even a stranger. Let’s hear their stories, share them, and ensure they’re not forgotten. Because, in the end, it’s these stories, these memories, that shape our present and our future.

From : Alex Turner

Grade : 11th

Interests : History Club, Soccer Team, School Newspaper

Veterans Day Essays for Grade 7th and 8th

4. The True Meaning of Veterans Day

Every year on November 11th, we celebrate Veterans Day. But what makes this day so special? Why do schools close, parades march down the streets, and flags fly high? This day, known as Veterans Day, is more than just a holiday; it’s a day to honor and remember the brave individuals who served in our military.

A Day with Deep Roots:

Veterans Day started as Armistice Day, marking the end of World War I. The world rejoiced as the guns fell silent on the battlefields of Europe. Over time, as more men and women served in other wars and conflicts, the day’s significance expanded. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially changed the name to Veterans Day to honor all veterans, not just those from World War I.

Heroes in Many Forms:

Veterans come from all walks of life. They’re our grandparents, neighbors, and sometimes, our teachers. Each of them has a unique story of bravery, sacrifice, and dedication to our country. They’ve served in different wars, faced various challenges, and have diverse experiences. Yet, they all share a common bond: a commitment to protect our nation and its values.

Why We Celebrate:

While many of us enjoy a day off from school or work, it’s essential to remember the real reason behind Veterans Day. It’s a day to show our gratitude to those who protected our freedoms. Schools often hold special assemblies, communities organize parades, and families visit memorials. These acts of remembrance ensure that the sacrifices of our veterans are never forgotten.

The Global Perspective:

Veterans Day is not just an American tradition. Many countries have similar days to honor their military veterans. Whether it’s Remembrance Day in Canada and the UK or Armistice Day in France, the sentiment is the same: to honor those who have served.

Veterans Day is a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made for our country. It’s a day to reflect, honor, and express our gratitude. As we observe Veterans Day, let’s take a moment to truly understand its significance and remember the heroes who have shaped our nation’s history.

5. The Historical Significance of Veterans Day

Every November 11th, the United States pauses to honor its military veterans. Veterans Day, a federal holiday, is a time of reflection, gratitude, and remembrance. But what historical events led to the establishment of this significant day?

World War I and Armistice Day:

The roots of Veterans Day can be traced back to the end of World War I. Known as “The Great War,” it was a conflict of unprecedented scale and devastation. When the guns finally fell silent on November 11, 1918, the world hoped it would be the “ war to end all wars. ” This day, known as Armistice Day, was initially dedicated to the brave souls who fought in World War I.

Evolving Recognition:

However, as the 20th century progressed, the U.S. found itself engaged in other major conflicts, including World War II and the Korean War. Recognizing the need to honor all veterans, not just those from World War I, Congress amended the commemoration in 1954. Hence, Armistice Day became Veterans Day.

A Day of Gratitude and Education:

Today, Veterans Day serves multiple purposes. It’s a day for citizens to express their gratitude to those who served. Schools often hold special programs, ensuring younger generations understand the sacrifices made by military personnel throughout history. These educational initiatives ensure that the stories of veterans are passed down, preserving their legacy.

Veterans Day is a testament to the nation’s deep respect for those who don the uniform. As we observe this day, it’s essential to delve into its historical roots, ensuring that its true significance is never forgotten.

You might also like: Veterans Day Poems for School Kids

6. Veterans Day: Stories of Valor and Sacrifice

Veterans Day is more than just a date on the calendar; it’s a tapestry of stories, each thread representing a veteran’s unique experience. These narratives provide a deeper understanding of the day’s essence and the sacrifices made by our military personnel.

Tales from Different Eras:

Each war or conflict has its unique backdrop, challenges, and moments of valor. A World War II veteran might recount the challenges of the D-Day landings, while a Vietnam War veteran could share tales of monsoon rains and dense jungles. These firsthand accounts provide invaluable insights into the realities of war, far beyond what textbooks convey.

The Emotional Battlefield:

Beyond the physical challenges of combat, veterans often grapple with emotional and psychological battles. Feelings of loss, memories of comrades, and the traumas of war can leave lasting scars. By sharing these experiences, veterans not only find catharsis but also educate others about the multifaceted challenges faced by military personnel.

Preserving Their Legacy:

In today’s digital age, there’s a golden opportunity to document and share veterans’ stories. Oral history projects, documentaries, and memoirs can immortalize their experiences, ensuring they resonate with future generations.

As we commemorate Veterans Day, it’s crucial to listen to and reflect upon the myriad stories of our veterans. Their narratives, rich with lessons of courage, resilience, and sacrifice, offer a profound understanding of the day’s significance.

7. The Evolving Observance of Veterans Day

Veterans Day, celebrated annually on November 11th, has witnessed an evolution in its observance and significance. From its origins post-World War I to its contemporary relevance, it mirrors America’s changing relationship with its military and veterans.

Historical Beginnings:

Following World War I, the U.S. sought to honor the brave souls who fought in the conflict. Originally termed Armistice Day, November 11th marked the cessation of hostilities in the “war to end all wars.” However, as the nation engaged in subsequent conflicts, there was a growing realization that all veterans deserved recognition.

Modern-Day Observances:

Today, Veterans Day is marked by a plethora of events. Parades, memorial services, and school programs are commonplace. The emphasis has shifted from merely honoring veterans to educating the public about their sacrifices and experiences. This educational aspect ensures that younger generations appreciate the freedoms they enjoy, thanks to the sacrifices of those who served.

A Day for Reflection and Gratitude:

Beyond the ceremonies and events, Veterans Day is a time for introspection. It’s an opportunity for individuals to reflect on the values of bravery, sacrifice, and patriotism. It’s also a day to express gratitude, whether by attending a parade, visiting a war memorial, or simply thanking a veteran.

The observance of Veterans Day has evolved, but its core essence remains unchanged. It’s a day to honor, remember, and express gratitude to the countless individuals who’ve donned the uniform, serving the nation with unwavering dedication.

Essays on Veterans Day for Grade 9-10

8. The Echoes of Valor on Veterans Day

Every year, as autumn leaves paint the landscape in hues of gold and crimson, the nation comes together on November 11th to honor its veterans. Veterans Day, a solemn occasion, is a tribute to the brave men and women who’ve donned the uniform, dedicating a part of their lives to serve the country. Their stories, woven into the fabric of American history, are tales of valor, sacrifice, and an unwavering commitment to freedom.

The origins of Veterans Day trace back to the aftermath of World War I, a conflict that left deep scars on the global psyche. When the armistice was signed on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, the world hoped for lasting peace. The day, initially commemorated as Armistice Day, was a tribute to the soldiers of “ The Great War .” However, as the years rolled on and America found itself embroiled in subsequent conflicts, the day evolved to honor all veterans.

Today, Veterans Day is more than just a mark on the calendar. It’s a day of reflection, gratitude, and education. Across the nation, ceremonies are held, flags are raised, and veterans share their stories with younger generations. These narratives, spanning different wars and eras, offer invaluable lessons about the cost of freedom and the indomitable human spirit.

As we observe Veterans Day, it’s essential to remember that every veteran, whether they served in the trenches of World War I, the jungles of Vietnam, or the deserts of the Middle East, has contributed to the tapestry of American history. Their sacrifices, both big and small, have shaped the nation and safeguarded its ideals.

Concluding this, Veterans Day is a poignant reminder of the price of freedom. It’s a day to express our gratitude, to listen to the echoes of history, and to ensure that the stories of our veterans are never forgotten.

9. The Legacy of Service on Veterans Day

America, a nation built on ideals of freedom and democracy, owes a profound debt to its veterans. Every Veterans Day, we are reminded of this debt and the legacy of service that countless individuals have left behind. From the Revolutionary War to modern conflicts, veterans have played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s destiny.

The significance of Veterans Day lies not just in honoring the past but also in understanding its relevance to the present and future. In a rapidly changing world, the values of bravery, sacrifice, and patriotism remain constant, guiding the nation through challenges and uncertainties.

Veterans, with their diverse experiences, also serve as bridges between different generations. Their stories, filled with lessons of courage, resilience, and hope, resonate with young and old alike. These narratives offer insights into the complexities of war, the challenges of peace, and the enduring human spirit.

Furthermore, Veterans Day serves as a call to action. It’s a reminder for citizens to be informed, to understand the sacrifices made for their freedoms, and to be active participants in the democratic process. The day underscores the idea that freedom, though hard-won, must be continually safeguarded.

In essence, Veterans Day is a celebration of the American spirit. It’s a day to honor the legacy of service, to reflect on the nation’s history, and to look forward with hope and determination.

10. Veterans Day: A Collage of Stories and Sacrifices

Behind the observance of Veterans Day lies a rich collage of stories, each piece representing a life dedicated to service. These stories, spanning centuries, are testaments to the sacrifices made by individuals in the pursuit of a greater good.

Every veteran has a unique story to tell. Some speak of battles fought in distant lands, while others recount the challenges of training and preparation. Yet, amidst this diversity, there’s a common thread of commitment, bravery, and a deep love for the country.

The significance of these narratives goes beyond mere historical accounts. They serve as reminders of the human cost of freedom. Each story, whether it’s of a World War II pilot, a nurse from the Korean War, or a foot soldier in Afghanistan, offers a glimpse into the realities of military life and the challenges faced by those in service.

As the nation commemorates Veterans Day, it’s essential to delve deeper into these narratives. By understanding the individual stories, we gain a broader perspective on the collective sacrifices made by generations of veterans. These tales, filled with moments of valor, camaraderie, and resilience, enrich our understanding of the day and its significance.

Further Reading:

• Veterans Day Poems
• Thank you Veterans Quotes

No related posts.

© 2022 UpnNext.com - All Rights Reserved

Share on Mastodon

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Veterans Day — Why Veterans Day Is Important

Why Veterans Day is Important

• Categories: Veterans Day

About this sample

Words: 674 |

Published: Mar 25, 2024

Words: 674 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Reminder of sacrifices, educating about war realities, resilience and strength of the human spirit, unity and solidarity, supporting veterans after return.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

• Expert in: Life

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

4 pages / 1840 words

1 pages / 634 words

1 pages / 657 words

2 pages / 1051 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Veterans Day

Veterans Day stands as a significant and revered occasion in our society, holding deep meaning for both individuals and the nation as a whole. This day provides a moment to reflect on the profound importance of the sacrifices [...]

Veterans Day is a time to honor and show appreciation for the men and women who have served in the armed forces. While traditionally a day to commemorate all veterans, it is important to specifically recognize the significant [...]

On New Years’ Day in 1804, a group of former slaves gathered in Saint Domingue to unequivocally declare independence and mark the establishment of a new nation. They named their new country Haiti. Fifteen years earlier, most of [...]

I look forward to seeing bright and various hues of presents wrapped in red and green. I enjoy the sweet yet spicy scent of pine. Most of all, I cannot help but mimic the gleaming smiles from happy children on Christmas morning. [...]

Every year, many Americans look forward to celebrating Halloween, and dressing up in costume is usually a part of that. I personally love Halloween, but I hate that it seems to amplify the way our culture “does gender,” as [...]

Hinduism is the name given to one of the most ancient religion practices in India. Vedanta is the true name of this religion. When British rule began to populate India this ancient religion evolved into what is known today as [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Lesson Plan

Nov. 11, 2022, 11:07 a.m.

Lesson plan: Veterans Day and the meaning of sacrifice

John Grillo, 94, World War II, U.S. Navy veteran, Levittown, New York, Nov. 8, 2021. Courtesy: Madeline Louis

This lesson was updated on November 11, 2022. It was originally published in 2014.

Use this PBS NewsHour lesson plan to help students understand the significance of Veterans Day and the meaning of sacrifice. Students will identify important veterans in their lives, examine an interactive timeline of military history and study issues facing veterans today. For a google doc version of this lesson, click here .

World history, government and civics, U.S. history, geography

Estimated time

One 50-minute class

Grade level

Middle and high school

Warning: Due to the large number of students who either have friends or family that serve in the armed forces please take care and be sensitive when discussing Veterans Day.

Warm-up activity

• Start class by asking students what they know about Veterans Day and give them the AARP Quiz and then go over the answers with them.
• Watch “Bet You Didn't Know — Veterans Day” from the History Channel (below) as a class.

• Watch Student Reporting Labs' Veterans Day video featuring students from military families living here in the U.S. and around the world.

Background on U.S. Wars

Share this interactive timeline with students and watch videos associated with U.S. wars. You may choose the wars your class knows the least about or play what you have time for. Click on the timeline to scroll through to each event, and click on the images above the timeline to watch short videos on the war.

Main activity — special issues for today’s veterans

• As a class, brainstorm the risks and benefits of being a soldier today and write answers on the board. Let the class know that they are going to take a closer look at some of the issues that veterans face today and how these challenges are being treated.
• Read to students: With new medical and life-saving technology more troops are surviving traumatic injuries that would have sealed their fate just decades ago. The effects of the increase in soldiers dealing with severe injuries such as losing limbs, traumatic brain injuries and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has taxed the Veterans Administration (V.A.) at unprecedented levels leaving response time to disability claims anywhere from months to years. Further, both an increase in an aging veteran population as well as female veterans brings new challenges to the V.A. Let’s look more in depth at the issues facing today’s veterans.

Part 1 - Waiting for benefits

• Watch the above video clip, “Veterans' Disability Delayed.”
• Read the Center for Investigative Reporting article “For Disabled Veterans Awaiting Benefits Decisions, Location Matters” by Aaron Glantz.

Part 2 — How phantom limbs are successfully being treated today

Watch the TED Talk "3 clues to understanding your brain" by VS Ramachandran (in particular, highlight the excerpt from 9:15-17:45).

Part 3 — Unique challenges that women veterans face

Watch the PBS NewsHour report “Women Veterans Face Unique Obstacles, Needs."

Part 4 - Veterans and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• What is PTSD? How does it manifest in veterans? Read the story of one veteran.
• How is PTSD diagnosed? Look at the Diagnostic Statistical Manual V Criteria for PTSD or Self-Report Questionnaire for PTSD .
• How is it treated? Hear about treatment options from the Veterans Association.

Writing prompts

• Write a Veterans Day thank you note. Use this lesson plan to help your students identify and understand important veterans in their life.
• Write an argument to either support or reject claims that veterans today face challenges that veterans in the past did not using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
• Choose one of the wars that was featured on the interactive timeline and write three short narrative-snap shots including one day in the life of that veteran before, during, and after the war using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences.

By Katie Gould, former NewsHour teacher resource producer. ( A special thanks to my grandfather, Joe Sidor, pictured in the writing prompts section, for his many years of service as a Marine during World War II, his work in China after World War II and the Korean War.)

An additional thank you to Susan Dickson for contributing photographs for the story.

Fill out this form to share your thoughts on Classroom’s resources. Sign up for NewsHour Classroom’s ready-to-go Daily News Lessons delivered to your inbox each morning.

Standards (CCSS)

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.7 Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium’s portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the words).
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.7 Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.2 Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.

Recent Lesson Plans

Lesson Plan: Using robotics to support rural communities

A short project-based lesson that weaves arts & sciences together

Lesson plan: Watergate and the limits of presidential power

On August 9, 1974, President Richard M. Nixon resigned from the Oval Office. Use this resource to teach young people about this period in U.S. history.

How2Internet: Use media literacy skills to navigate the misinformation highway

Learn to produce a fact-check video using media literacy skills

Lesson plan: Understand the UN Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples through oral history

Learn about the United Nations human rights principles for indigenous peoples through the lens of oral history storytelling

• World War II
• us-military
• government-civics
• social-studies
• servicemember
• military service
• Veteran's Day
• American History

SUPPORTED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY:

Copyright © 2023 NewsHour Production LLC. All Rights Reserved

Illustrations by Annamaria Ward

31 Veterans Day Writing Prompts

It’s easy for children to skip thinking about Veterans Day. Preferring to run outside and play in the good weather, instead of thinking thoughtfully about what veterans have gone through to make that possible.

It’s just so easy to let your mind slip into the Veterans Day holiday as being a well-earned long weekend. We sometimes don’t take time to remember the sacrifice and service of others given to make the day possible. 

By using writing prompts to help students understand the importance of veterans, they will get a greater understanding and appreciation for what is being celebrated every Veterans Day – as well as getting some pretty thoughtful writing happening along the way of course. 

How to Use These Veterans Day Writing Prompts

These writing prompts on Veterans Day are designed to make children think more deeply about veterans, the United States military, and how much those things matter.

They’re designed to require open thought, which challenges students to think critically. You can either make these questions internally focused, for students to answer, or you can have students work on their answers, and then share with the class for an open discussion about the Veterans Day holiday. 

There are a few different approaches you can take with these prompts.

For one, you could have students write out multiple answers to prompts in a day and work on them as an in-class celebration of the holiday. In other cases, it may be better to choose to do one or two prompts a day over the course of a week. This way, the messages have time to sink in for your students. 

The Veterans Day Prompts

Here are the 31 writing prompts on Veterans Day:

• What does Veterans Day celebrate?
• Who are veterans?
• Do you know any veterans? Are there any in your family?
• Why are veterans important?
• What are some ways that we can honor veterans?
• Should the government and companies give extra benefits to veterans?
• Are veterans unique to the United States? Why or why not?
• What would happen if we stopped celebrating Veterans Day?
• Is Veterans Day more important for honoring veterans or as a day off from school? Why?
• What do you think veterans think of Veterans Day?
• How you ever been to a war memorial? How did it make you feel?
• Do you know any American wars? What kind of impact did they have on the country?
• Do you know what the USO is? Why is it important?
• How would you welcome a parent home from military service?
• Do you think veterans are generally proud of their service? What makes them proud?
• A military draft is when members of society are randomly chosen to join the military. Is this a good system? Why or why not?
• If you could design a monument to veterans, what would it look like?
• What would you include in a veterans’ museum?
• Why do people join the military?
• What does it mean to serve your country and community? Are there ways you can do so without joining the military? What are they?
• What are the branches of the military? How do they differ, and which sounds most interesting to you?
• Should we treat people differently, just because they’re a veteran? Why or why not?
• Is Veterans Day a necessary holiday? Why or why not?
• What are some symbols that make you feel patriotic? Why do they have an impact on you?
• Can you be a veteran without fighting in a war? If so, how?
• Have you ever watched the Army-Navy football game? If so, did it make you feel differently than a regular football game? Why do you think that is?
• How has war changed over the years? Is it better or worse now?
• What impact does the military have on your daily life?
• Do you know any famous military figures? What made them important?
• Why are there so many songs and movies about war?
• Is it a good thing to be romantic about war, or should we be more realistic? What would a veteran think?

Looking for More Information?

For more information and resources for teachers on writing and education, please browse around – try the top menu of the site for all our categories, or search our site for something you have in mind!

Here are some more prompts about being brave and Earth Day which you might like to try out.

Feel free to share with friends and coworkers who may find the website useful too.

If anything is missing or you have any suggestions, please feel free to reach out to us. 

• CORE CURRICULUM 
• LITERACY > CORE CURRICULUM  > Into Literature, 6-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Into Literature, 6-12" aria-label="Into Literature, 6-12"> Into Literature, 6-12
• LITERACY > CORE CURRICULUM  > Into Reading, K-6" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Into Reading, K-6" aria-label="Into Reading, K-6"> Into Reading, K-6
• INTERVENTION
• LITERACY > INTERVENTION > English 3D, 4-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="English 3D, 4-12" aria-label="English 3D, 4-12"> English 3D, 4-12
• LITERACY > INTERVENTION > Read 180, 3-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Read 180, 3-12" aria-label="Read 180, 3-12"> Read 180, 3-12
• LITERACY > READERS > Hero Academy Leveled Libraries, PreK-4" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Hero Academy Leveled Libraries, PreK-4" aria-label="Hero Academy Leveled Libraries, PreK-4"> Hero Academy Leveled Libraries, PreK-4
• LITERACY > READERS > HMH Reads Digital Library, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="HMH Reads Digital Library, K-5" aria-label="HMH Reads Digital Library, K-5"> HMH Reads Digital Library, K-5
• LITERACY > READERS > inFact Leveled Libraries, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="inFact Leveled Libraries, K-5" aria-label="inFact Leveled Libraries, K-5"> inFact Leveled Libraries, K-5
• LITERACY > READERS > Rigby PM, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Rigby PM, K-5" aria-label="Rigby PM, K-5"> Rigby PM, K-5
• LITERACY > READERS > Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5" aria-label="Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5"> Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5
• SUPPLEMENTAL 
• LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL  > A Chance in the World SEL, 8-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="A Chance in the World SEL, 8-12" aria-label="A Chance in the World SEL, 8-12"> A Chance in the World SEL, 8-12
• LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL  > Amira Learning, K-6" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Amira Learning, K-6" aria-label="Amira Learning, K-6"> Amira Learning, K-6
• LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL  > Classcraft, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Classcraft, K-8" aria-label="Classcraft, K-8"> Classcraft, K-8
• LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL  > JillE Literacy, K-3" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="JillE Literacy, K-3" aria-label="JillE Literacy, K-3"> JillE Literacy, K-3
• LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL  > Waggle, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Waggle, K-8" aria-label="Waggle, K-8"> Waggle, K-8
• LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL  > Writable, 3-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Writable, 3-12" aria-label="Writable, 3-12"> Writable, 3-12
• LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL  > ASSESSMENT" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="ASSESSMENT" aria-label="ASSESSMENT"> ASSESSMENT
• CORE CURRICULUM
• MATH > CORE CURRICULUM > Arriba las Matematicas, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Arriba las Matematicas, K-8" aria-label="Arriba las Matematicas, K-8"> Arriba las Matematicas, K-8
• MATH > CORE CURRICULUM > Go Math!, K-6" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Go Math!, K-6" aria-label="Go Math!, K-6"> Go Math!, K-6
• MATH > CORE CURRICULUM > Into Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, 8-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Into Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, 8-12" aria-label="Into Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, 8-12"> Into Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, 8-12
• MATH > CORE CURRICULUM > Into Math, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Into Math, K-8" aria-label="Into Math, K-8"> Into Math, K-8
• MATH > CORE CURRICULUM > Math Expressions, PreK-6" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Math Expressions, PreK-6" aria-label="Math Expressions, PreK-6"> Math Expressions, PreK-6
• MATH > CORE CURRICULUM > Math in Focus, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Math in Focus, K-8" aria-label="Math in Focus, K-8"> Math in Focus, K-8
• SUPPLEMENTAL
• MATH > SUPPLEMENTAL > Classcraft, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Classcraft, K-8" aria-label="Classcraft, K-8"> Classcraft, K-8
• MATH > SUPPLEMENTAL > Waggle, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Waggle, K-8" aria-label="Waggle, K-8"> Waggle, K-8
• MATH > INTERVENTION > Math 180, 5-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Math 180, 5-12" aria-label="Math 180, 5-12"> Math 180, 5-12
• SCIENCE > CORE CURRICULUM  > Into Science, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Into Science, K-5" aria-label="Into Science, K-5"> Into Science, K-5
• SCIENCE > CORE CURRICULUM  > Into Science, 6-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Into Science, 6-8" aria-label="Into Science, 6-8"> Into Science, 6-8
• SCIENCE > CORE CURRICULUM  > Science Dimensions, K-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Science Dimensions, K-12" aria-label="Science Dimensions, K-12"> Science Dimensions, K-12
• SCIENCE > READERS > inFact Leveled Readers, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="inFact Leveled Readers, K-5" aria-label="inFact Leveled Readers, K-5"> inFact Leveled Readers, K-5
• SCIENCE > READERS > Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5" aria-label="Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5"> Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5
• SCIENCE > READERS > ScienceSaurus, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="ScienceSaurus, K-8" aria-label="ScienceSaurus, K-8"> ScienceSaurus, K-8
• SOCIAL STUDIES > CORE CURRICULUM  > HMH Social Studies, 6-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="HMH Social Studies, 6-12" aria-label="HMH Social Studies, 6-12"> HMH Social Studies, 6-12
• SOCIAL STUDIES > SUPPLEMENTAL > Writable" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Writable" aria-label="Writable"> Writable
• For Teachers 
• PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT > For Teachers  > Coachly" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Coachly" aria-label="Coachly"> Coachly
• PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT > For Teachers  > Teacher's Corner" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Teacher's Corner" aria-label="Teacher's Corner"> Teacher's Corner
• PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT > For Teachers  > Live Online Courses" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Live Online Courses" aria-label="Live Online Courses"> Live Online Courses
• For Leaders
• PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT > For Leaders > The Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="The Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)" aria-label="The Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)"> The Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)
• MORE > undefined > Assessment" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Assessment" aria-label="Assessment"> Assessment
• MORE > undefined > Early Learning" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Early Learning" aria-label="Early Learning"> Early Learning
• MORE > undefined > English Language Development" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="English Language Development" aria-label="English Language Development"> English Language Development
• MORE > undefined > Homeschool" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Homeschool" aria-label="Homeschool"> Homeschool
• MORE > undefined > Intervention" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Intervention" aria-label="Intervention"> Intervention
• MORE > undefined > Literacy" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Literacy" aria-label="Literacy"> Literacy
• MORE > undefined > Mathematics" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Mathematics" aria-label="Mathematics"> Mathematics
• MORE > undefined > Professional Development" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Professional Development" aria-label="Professional Development"> Professional Development
• MORE > undefined > Science" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Science" aria-label="Science"> Science
• MORE > undefined > undefined" data-element-type="header nav submenu">
• MORE > undefined > Social and Emotional Learning" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Social and Emotional Learning" aria-label="Social and Emotional Learning"> Social and Emotional Learning
• MORE > undefined > Social Studies" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Social Studies" aria-label="Social Studies"> Social Studies
• MORE > undefined > Special Education" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Special Education" aria-label="Special Education"> Special Education
• MORE > undefined > Summer School" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Summer School" aria-label="Summer School"> Summer School
• BROWSE RESOURCES
• BROWSE RESOURCES > Classroom Activities" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Classroom Activities" aria-label="Classroom Activities"> Classroom Activities
• BROWSE RESOURCES > Customer Success Stories" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Customer Success Stories" aria-label="Customer Success Stories"> Customer Success Stories
• BROWSE RESOURCES > Digital Samples" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Digital Samples" aria-label="Digital Samples"> Digital Samples
• BROWSE RESOURCES > Events" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Events" aria-label="Events"> Events
• BROWSE RESOURCES > Grants & Funding" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Grants & Funding" aria-label="Grants & Funding"> Grants & Funding
• BROWSE RESOURCES > International" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="International" aria-label="International"> International
• BROWSE RESOURCES > Research Library" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Research Library" aria-label="Research Library"> Research Library
• BROWSE RESOURCES > Shaped - HMH Blog" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Shaped - HMH Blog" aria-label="Shaped - HMH Blog"> Shaped - HMH Blog
• BROWSE RESOURCES > Webinars" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Webinars" aria-label="Webinars"> Webinars
• CUSTOMER SUPPORT
• CUSTOMER SUPPORT > Contact Sales" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Contact Sales" aria-label="Contact Sales"> Contact Sales
• CUSTOMER SUPPORT > Customer Service & Technical Support Portal" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Customer Service & Technical Support Portal" aria-label="Customer Service & Technical Support Portal"> Customer Service & Technical Support Portal
• CUSTOMER SUPPORT > Platform Login" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Platform Login" aria-label="Platform Login"> Platform Login
• Learn about us
• Learn about us > About" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="About" aria-label="About"> About
• Learn about us > Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" aria-label="Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion"> Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Learn about us > Environmental, Social, and Governance" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Environmental, Social, and Governance" aria-label="Environmental, Social, and Governance"> Environmental, Social, and Governance
• Learn about us > News Announcements" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="News Announcements" aria-label="News Announcements"> News Announcements
• Learn about us > Our Legacy" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Our Legacy" aria-label="Our Legacy"> Our Legacy
• Learn about us > Social Responsibility" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Social Responsibility" aria-label="Social Responsibility"> Social Responsibility
• Learn about us > Supplier Diversity" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Supplier Diversity" aria-label="Supplier Diversity"> Supplier Diversity
• Join Us > Careers" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Careers" aria-label="Careers"> Careers
• Join Us > Educator Input Panel" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Educator Input Panel" aria-label="Educator Input Panel"> Educator Input Panel
• Join Us > Suppliers and Vendors" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Suppliers and Vendors" aria-label="Suppliers and Vendors"> Suppliers and Vendors
• Divisions > Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)" aria-label="Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)"> Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)
• Divisions > Heinemann" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Heinemann" aria-label="Heinemann"> Heinemann
• Divisions > NWEA" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="NWEA" aria-label="NWEA"> NWEA
• Platform Login

SOCIAL STUDIES

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Activities & Lessons

8 High School Veterans Day Activities and Lesson Plan Ideas

On November 11, we celebrate Veterans Day. It’s our chance to salute the 18 million veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces and show our appreciation for the sacrifices they made to protect our country.

Many people confuse Veterans Day with Memorial Day. While Memorial Day honors soldiers who died in service to the United States, Veterans Day honors all who served—both living and dead—in the U.S. Armed Forces. In the U.S., we show our respect for veterans with an official wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, in Virginia, and with parades and other celebrations across the country.

The coronavirus pandemic may change the way we participate in these events. The biggest Veterans Day parade in New York, for instance, will be aired on TV and online. But it won’t change the spirit of these events. Our Veterans Day activities for high school students can make sure of that. They will give your students a chance to say “thank you” while ensuring our veterans get the acknowledgement they deserve.

Veterans Day Activities for High School Students

Read on for Veterans Day activities that will bring the experiences of service members to life and help high school students understand why it’s so important to never forget those who risked their lives to keep us safe.

1. Write a Letter to a Veteran

Many veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. As a group, veterans also have a high rate of unemployment and suicide. Veterans, and even deployed service members who spend time away from family, appreciate heartfelt letters expressing appreciation for their service. According to Operation Gratitude , the letters are the most cherished items in the care packages the group sends. One enlisted man serving aboard the USS Ross in Spain called the letters a “ray of sunshine for the crew” after a tough deployment and mandatory quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic. You can sign up with Operation Gratitude for a letter-writing toolkit and mailing instructions. If distance learning makes it difficult to collect handwritten letters from students, you can always have them write a message online . Operation Gratitude will print the message on a postcard and send it.

2. Read Books About Soldiers' Experiences

Have students read the first chapter of author Tim O’Brien’s book of short stories about the Vietnam War, The Things They Carried . Start a discussion: What are some of the physical objects the soldiers carry? What do the objects tell you about the characters, their emotional states, and the war’s impact? Point out O’Brien’s use of repetition as a storytelling device. What affect does the repetition have on you?

To get a sense of what veterans today carry with them from their time in the military, have students listen to an NPR interview with Tim O’Brien on the 20th anniversary of the publication of The Things They Carried . One caller shared that he carries “shrapnel in my leg and bitterness.” O’Brien shared his own burdens: “I carry the memories of the ghosts of a place called Vietnam—the people of Vietnam, my fellow soldiers. More importantly, I carry the weight of responsibility, and a sense of abiding guilt.” Have students write a paragraph describing how these veterans' experiences are reflected in The Things They Carried .

Additional reading for high schoolers on soldiers' experience and the impact of war:

• The Heart You Carry Home by Jennifer Miller
• Soldier from the War Returning: The Greatest Generation's Troubled Homecoming from World War II by Thomas Childers
• The Last of the Doughboys: The Forgotten Generation and Their Forgotten World War by Richard Rubin
• The Slopes of War by Norah Perez
• The War to End All Wars: World War I by Russell Freedman
• The Slaves' War: The Civil War in the Words of Former Slaves by Andrew Ward

3. Bring a Soldier's Story to Life

Your students can make history! Invite them to participate in the Veterans History Project , which collects and preserves firsthand remembrances of U.S. military veterans from World War I through more recent conflicts. Students ages 15 and older can volunteer to interview veterans and record their reflections on military service and its impact for future generations. Students can interview friends or family members who have served in the military or contact a local veterans organization, senior center, or retirement community to find veterans who might be interested in sharing their story. For additional support, especially for educators and students, check out these resources from the Veterans History Project, including sample interviews and questions.

4. Invite a Veteran to Speak to Your Class

Have your students ask their families whether they have any relatives who are veterans, and if they would be willing to visit the classroom—either virtually or in person—to share what Veterans Day means to them. You can also request that they share stories or experiences from their time in the military. Set up a specific agenda beforehand and remain sensitive to what they may or may not want to disclose. Then, you can give your high schoolers time to ask questions. If no students in your class have a family member who is willing to speak to the class, contact a local veterans’ organization to arrange a classroom visit.

Given the ongoing pandemic, a virtual meeting may be your best bet. After the visit, have students complete a write-up of their most memorable takeaways from the conversation. You can get creative in finding ways to align the assignment with your curriculum.

5. Create and S end Paracord Survival Bracelets

According to Operation Gratitude , paracord bracelets—made from parachute cord that can hold up to 550 pounds—can be used by military personnel for a number of reasons, including to create a makeshift shelter; make a sling, splint, or harness; and attach camouflage nets to trees or vehicles. In this activity, have your students create paracord bracelets following these video or step-by-step photo instructions . (Your school or district can purchase paracord bracelet kits through Operation Gratitude.) Then, you can ship the students’ paracord bracelets to Operation Gratitude to be included in care packages sent to U.S. Armed Forces members. You can also have your students write letters to military personnel explaining why they are grateful for their service to our country and submit a copy to you for a grade or extra credit.

6. Take a Virtual Trip to a Military Museum or Memorial

There are a number of museum field trips you can take with your students to teach them about the military today and its role throughout history—and they all take place online. Here are some examples:

• The National WWI Museum and Memorial , Kansas City, Missouri : The museum offers a number of online exhibitions on topics including volunteerism during World War I, the end of WWI in 1918, and more.
• National Museum of the U.S. Navy, Washington, D.C. : Your students can view artifacts , digital exhibits , and photography related to various wars. In addition, the museum offers high school lesson plans on Pearl Harbor .
• Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Complex, New York, New York : The complex offers virtual tours and talks as well as videos on its YouTube channel , oral history interviews with those who served on board the famous aircraft carrier, a searchable database of the Museum’s collection of items, and more.
• The National WWII Museum, New Orleans, Louisiana: View exhibits including “Road to Tokyo” and “Road to Berlin,” which contain historical photographs and information. The museum also offers distance learning opportunities and resources for students and teachers.
• Vietnam Veterans Memorial , Washington D.C. : The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund offers a virtual tour of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall, which is available online or via the VVMF’s Mobile Tour app.

7. Create a Veterans Day Timeline

Have your students work in groups, either in person or virtually, and create a timeline depicting the key events in the history of Veterans Day. For each event, they should write a detailed paragraph or bulleted explanation about why this is considered an important event in the history of the holiday. The timeline format can be a video, trifold board, online presentation, or anything your students come up with. They should answer the following questions when creating their timeline, which they can submit for extra credit or present to the class:

• Why does Veterans Day take place on November 11 each year?
• Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day. Why was this changed?
• Is Veterans Day celebrated in other countries? If so, when?
• What’s the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day?

8. Write a Veterans Day Essay

Have students write a short paragraph, essay, or explanation about how Veterans Day has evolved since it began nearly a century ago. Why (or why not) is this a holiday we should still observe today? Invite students to explain their reasoning to the class.

More Ideas for Veterans Day Activities?

Have any more ideas for Veterans Day lesson plans for high school students ? Share your favorites with us on Twitter (@TheTeacherRoom) or Facebook .

Immerse middle and high school students in history with HMH Social Studies , our personalized, inquiry-based social studies solution.

Download our FREE calendar of activities!

• Social Studies
• Grades 9-12
• Activities & Lessons

Related Reading

Scaffolding Writing Instruction

Alicia Ivory Shaped Editor

May 20, 2024

10 Math Intervention Strategies for Struggling Students

Shaped Executive Editor

May 7, 2024

8 Fun Last-Day-of-School Activities for Elementary School

April 18, 2024

13 Veterans Day Texts For Secondary Students

Rob Fleisher

Add these CommonLit texts to your Veterans Day lesson plans for middle and high school students.

Veterans Day, a public American holiday, occurs annually on November 11th, celebrating the contributions of the U.S. Armed Forces. Originally called Armistice Day to mark the end of World War I, Veterans Day has existed in its current form since 1954.

In order to give students some insight into war and the role(s) of soldiers, we’ve compiled a variety of Veterans Day texts and readings: from informational pieces on United States’ origins, to interviews with war heroes, to texts on the physical and mental consequences that soldiers often endure during and after their service. There is a lot to teach surrounding Veterans Day, so we’ve also grouped these texts to help frame your lesson:

The Wars of Our Veterans

Female and minority veterans, the war effort at home, returning from war, striving for peace.

Pick and choose Veterans Day texts from the five categories listed above to give your students a glimpse into the complexities of war, peace, and everything in between:

These texts give background information on some of the major wars of the 20th century, the century in which Veterans Day was created.

“ To the Front Lines: America in World War I ” by USHistory.org (Grade 11)

“ Two American soldiers run towards a bunker ” by H.D. Girdwood is in the public domain.

This Veterans Day text discusses American neutrality and isolationist tendencies leading up to the First World War, as well as how Americans helped win World War I.

In addition, use the Crash Course video “ America in World War I ” to give your students more detail about American involvement.

“ Introduction to World War II ” by USHistory.org (9th Grade)

“ Approaching Omaha ”by Taak is in the public domain.

Use this Veterans Day reading to provide your students with background information on World War II and what some historians believe led to the start of the fighting.

Following the reading, pose these questions to your students: In the context of this informational text, how are we changed by war? How was America changed by its involvement in WWI? What were some of the lasting effects or changes due to WWII?

“ Introduction to the Vietnam War ” by USHistory.org (9th Grade)

“ U.S. Marines in Operation Allen Brook in 1968 ” by U.S. Marines (Official Marine Corps Photo #371490) is in the public domain.

Give your students an introduction to some perspectives of the Vietnam War with this informational text.

Afterward, have your students write a short paper addressing the following question: Based on your reading of the Vietnam War, what do you think is the role of the media in influencing public opinion?

Today, there are many women and people of color serving in the U.S. Army. However, not too long ago, these folks were not allowed to enlist and faced unfair, unequal treatment. The texts below detail some of the veterans who broke down these barriers.

“ Tuskegee Airmen ” by Jessica McBirney (9th Grade)

The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of African American fighter pilots and bomber pilots, including their support crew, who flew for the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II. Despite facing racial discrimination, they complete their missions, which were some of the most successful in the American military.

During your Veterans Day lesson, take time to discuss the Airmen’s motivations for serving, considering their treatment while serving their country.

“ Eight Tuskegee Airmen in front of a P-40 fighter aircraft ” by Signaleer is in the public domain.

“ First Female Army Rangers  They Thought of ‘Future Generations of Women ” by Brakkton Booker (11th Grade)

In 2015, Shaye Haver and Kristen Griest became the first two women to graduate from the United States Army Ranger School. Women historically have been restricted to wartime support roles, such as serving as nurses and aides, but now they are gaining access to direct combat positions.

Pair this text with “ Rosie the Riveter ” and ask students to discuss how women’s roles in the military have evolved over time. How do students think Kristen Griest’s and Shaye Haver’s actions have contributed to the public’s views on women’s roles in the military?

“ AFB_5665 ” by West Point: The U.S. Military Academy is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

“ Serving With the Women’s Army Corps: An Interview with Wilma Hugunin ” by the Veterans History Project (7th and 8th Grade)

Wilma Hugunin joined the Women’s Army Corps during World War II and served in the Women’s Air Force; she inspired other women to enlist. In this interview, Hugunin discusses what motivated her to join the Women’s Army Corps, as well as her contributions to the war efforts.

For many Americans, the effects of overseas wars is also felt in the States — and for decades following the war as well. In the texts below, people unable to participate in combat roles found other ways to contribute to the war effort.

“ The Poppy Lady ” by Barbara Elizabeth Walsh (5th Grade)

“ A young girl sells poppies in the early 1930s. ” by Collections of the Historical Society of Princeton is licensed under Used with permission.

Moina Belle Michael (1869–1944) was an American teacher who was known widely as the “Poppy Lady.” Michael created a movement that brought millions of dollars of donations to American and English veterans and established the poppy as a memorial flower.

Use the clip “ Armistice Day London: Poppies Honor WWII Soldier ”, in your Veterans Day lesson plan, to show 5th grade students what Michael’s initiative has achieved.

“ A Flag that Honors War Veterans ” by Shawn E. Hanscom (6th Grade)

“ 101112-N-5586R-006 ” by U.S. Pacific Fleet is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

This Veterans Day text details how the first Service Flag was created by an Army captain who invented a symbol for his sons that everyone could see. Now, the flag is used to honor soldiers in war.

Pose this question to your 6th grade students: How does the Service Flag help families with loved ones in the military express themselves?

Combat veterans often face a particularly daunting set of challenges upon returning home from war, which may include psychiatric conditions, unemployment, a lack of access to healthcare, or any number of other issues.

The two texts below depict two soldiers’ stories of returning to the United States post-conflict. After reading the accounts, take time with your high school students to discuss the importance of both mental and physical health.

“ Behind Bars, Vets with PTSD Face a New War Zone, With Little Support ” by Quil Lawrence (9th Grade)

David Carson, a veteran of the Iraq war, spends most of his time in jail or treatment centers. The Department of Veterans Affairs and his family attribute this to his debilitating PTSD — along with a severe lack of resources for veterans.

To provide some context, you can show your students the short film “ PTSD — The War at Home ”. You can start a discussion, based on your students' needs and experiences, that touch on the following: In what ways are military personnel members especially vulnerable to PTSD, and in what ways might seeking treatment be particularly difficult for this population? How does this video add to the views of combat and PTSD presented in the article?

“ For Many Returning Vets, ‘Moral Injury’ Just as Difficult ” by Rachel Martin (9th Grade)

In 2013, Timothy Kudo, a former Marine captain, wrote an opinion piece for The Washington Post about grappling with “moral injury” as a veteran who has killed during wartime. In this article, Kuda shares his experience with NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday host Rachel Martin.

After reading , ask your students whether or not they think it is important to listen to the stories of war veterans. Why? What can they teach us?

One cannot discuss war and the efforts of veterans without discussing peace, one of the reasons why so many veterans have fought. The Veterans Day readings and texts below describe those who have historically advocated for peace.

“ Resistance to the Vietnam War ” by Jessica McBirney (10th Grade)

“ Student Vietnam War Protesters ” by UW Digital Collections is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

The United States government entered the Vietnam War because they believed their involvement was the only way to prevent communism from spreading in the region. However, the war was largely unpopular with American citizens. Many believed it was unfair, unnecessary, and unjustifiable.

Discuss the methods of protest with your students. Can all of the actions taken by the protestors be justified? Why or why not?

“ Duty, Honor, Country Address at West Point ” by General Douglas MacArthur (9th Grade)

“ General Douglass MacArthur Wades Ashore ”by Marion Doss is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

General Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964) was an American five-star general who played a prominent role in the Pacific theater campaign during World War II. From 1919–1922, MacArthur served as the Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. On May 12, 1962, MacArthur delivered this speech to the cadets at West Point.

In his speech, MacArthur declares “the soldier above all other people prays for peace” and quotes Plato, stating that “only the dead have seen the end of war.” Have your students discuss these quotes and the relationship between war and peace. Do they agree with MacArthur? Is war justified in pursuit of peace?

“ Jimmy Carter’s Nobel Lecture ” by Jimmy Carter (11th Grade)

“ Secretary General Takes Part in Moderated Conversation with ex President Carter ” by OEA — OAS is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Following his presidency, Jimmy Carter set up the Carter Center with the goals of advancing human rights and combating human suffering. In 2002, Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work promoting international peace.

After reading Carter’s speech, ask your students the following: In the context of the speech, how does Carter suggest the United States contribute to securing international peace? In the time that has passed since Carter gave this speech, do you think the United States has come closer to achieving what Carter wanted? Why or why not?

Browse the CommonLit library to find more great Veterans Day texts to add to your lesson plan and to share with your middle and high school students!If you’re interested in learning all about CommonLit’s free digital literacy program, join one of our upcoming webinars !

If you are an administrator looking to leverage CommonLit in your school or district, our partnerships team can help. We offer benchmark assessments, professional learning, and more!

Chat with CommonLit

CommonLit’s team will reach out with more information on our school and district partnerships.

7 Special Ideas to Celebrate Veterans Day at your School

Show School Pride and Gratitude to Veterans in Your Community

When is Veterans Day and why do we celebrate it?

Every November 11th , Americans observe Veterans Day. Some schools are in session on this day; others are not. Veterans Day is a US federal holiday.

Regardless of whether your school is in session on this day, many schools aspire to celebrate Veterans Day in a special way. Some school choose to celebrate it the day prior or after Veterans Day, if their school is closed. Above all, they wish to honor the brave men and women who have served in the United States' armed forces.

Veterans Day is held on the 11th day of the 11th month in honor of the 11th hour on this day when World War I ended in 1918 - signaling Armistice Day.

On this day, many schools recognize their staff and the families of students who served in the US armed forces.

7 Special Ways to Celebrate Veterans Day at your School

Note: Each of these ideas require planning and preparation. It's important to identify a few great teammates to help make these events meaningful and smooth. Consider parent/family volunteers, school leaders, or educators who wish to help make this special day a resounding success! *Bonus* The media LOVES Veterans Day events at schools ~ don't forget to invite them!

Idea #1 : Host a Veterans Day Assembly

The school where I first served as VP always held an annual Veterans Day Assembly. As a comprehensive high school with nearly 900 students, we had all the bells and whistles for this proud day.

Guests would gather for light refreshments before the event. The assembly would last approximately 45 minutes and included readings, special guests like celebrity veterans or the mayor, and of course, amazing music.

We invited veterans from our entire community to attend. They were invited through our staff, our students, and by the school personally reaching out to friends at the VFW and the American Legion. We posted and promoted the event on our social media pages.

At the assembly, our veteran guests sat in chairs in the center of the gym facing our stage, while the students (dressed in their best attire that day) sat in the bleachers all around our guests.

Our choir performed the national anthem to kick off the assembly. Guest speakers read powerful messages or students read essays on a Veterans Day theme. Occasionally a history teacher would give a brief history of one of America's many wars.

One year, we even honored a local Congressional Medal of Honor recipient - in his 98th year of life.

The band performed all five songs for the five (at the time) branches of the military. As the theme song played for each branch, our veterans would stand and be recognized and someone would announce the branch by name. There was not a dry eye in the place; our proud veterans would often weep at the sound of their beloved theme song being played by America's young people.

The end of the assembly was always beyond powerful. One talented high school trumpet player played "Taps." The echoing melody moved everyone beyond words.

The sky is truly the limit for planning and implementing a meaningful Veterans Day Assembly.

Please post other ideas in the comments below , if your school holds an annual assembly!

Idea #2 : Produce a "Thank you Veterans Video" featuring students

Timeless and precious - a "thank you" video for veterans is a great idea, especially because you can share it on your school's social media pages.

WeVideo has absolutely changed the way I do business at school! I used to wonder how all those principals would find the time to make cute videos of students and the great things happening on campus.

Now I know - WeVideo ! Check it out here - it's FREE:

Here are a few video ideas to get your started:

- A video collection of staff students saying "thank you, veterans!"

- Students answer a prompt like, "The best thing about America is..." or "What freedom means to me..."

- Have students tell a story about a veteran they know and love

Idea #3 : Hold a Veterans Day Parade in your school

It's always amazing to see and learn how many of our students are connected to veterans. Aunts, uncles, dads, moms, siblings, and more - it seems as though most students know someone who is or was a veteran.

Idea #3 is to invite these folks into school for a walking parade in your halls!

Simply set a staging time and location in your school where all veterans are welcome to gather. If you like, extend an invitation to your local veterans groups like American Legion or VFW.

While they gather and enjoy light refreshments, your students can line the halls to cheer on your school community's veterans. When the parade begins, your school veterans walk the halls to the cheers and claps of your students.

Even more fun - have the guest veterans hand an American flag to their student as they walk past them! It's sweet and very sentimental.

Music is a bonus ~ consider having someone carry a portable speaker or play music over the loud speaker.

Idea #4 : Create Cards for Veterans in your Community

Near our school we have several great drop-off locations for veterans. This includes the VFW, American Legion, and the city's senior center. We also have a veteran's outreach organization in our community.

Have your students all design and create thank you cards for your community's veterans. Depending on their age, they may need a little more support or some pre-written prompts.

Decide on where you plan to deliver them and make a special delivery during Veterans Day week.

Idea #5 : Host a Veterans Day Speaker Panel

In my community our VFW and American Legion groups are active and strong. We love to partner with them for all sorts of events.

One idea is to invite a small group of veterans to speak to students at your school. Perhaps they visit a few classrooms; perhaps they speak to the whole school. There is nothing more powerful than hearing the tales of those who served our country.

A few considerations:

- Are any of your students' parents or family members veterans?

- Watch the time. My experience with some veterans is that they have many amazing hours of experience to share. Be clear on how much time everyone gets in order to be equitable to all guests.

- Have gifts ready for your guest speakers. Perhaps some school gear or a thank you card ~ they will appreciate the generosity and become ambassadors for your school!

- Decorate that space! See Idea #6 below, or start shopping here .

Idea #6 : Decorate your Campus for Veterans Day

Our school's secretaries LOVE to decorate the Main Office to celebrate for the current holiday. Red, white, and blue is festive and easy to design - with the right supplies!

Decorating your school with red, white, and blue can be so fun! With limited school budgets, this theme of decor is great - reuse the decorations on Patriot's Day (9/11) and for Memorial Day (last Monday of May).

Banners and Pennants

Here are some favorites:

Indoor Decorations

Other ideas:

- Use plastic table clothes of red, white, and blue to tie ribbons around your school's trees

- Add a Thank You Veterans message to your reader board

- Have students write "thank you" messages in chalk on your school sidewalk

Idea #7 : Make a Photo Montage of Students

Photo montages are so easy to make and are one of the best ways to celebrate any holiday or special event!

Consider having students hold up whiteboards with words that exemplify veterans (ex. brave, strong, courage, freedom, etc.). Or have them write "thank you" on white cardstock and hold it up for the camera.

Photo montages are very easy to make, so long as you have the right tools! (Psst, they're free!) Check out my step-by-step instructions here.

You can also see my how-to video below. Be sure to click this link to get Canva Pro FREE for 30 days ! It's the easiest tool for making montages and it's a risk-free trial.

Thank you, Veterans!

To all the brave men and women who have served the United States in our military. Thank you! I hope other principals are inspired to celebrate you on their campuses this year.

Principals ~ please share your other ideas for Veterans Day in the comments below.

Recent Posts

Custodian Appreciation Day

Principal's Social Media Calendar

Vaping At School ~ What One Principal Wishes Every Parent Knew

STAFF MEETING BLOCK GAME TO PROMOTE POSITIVE CULTURE

PRINCIPAL’S COMPLETE SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLKIT

50 PHOTO QUOTATIONS FOR YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CALENDAR

BUNDLE & SAVE – 12 PRINCIPAL’S POWER PACKS TO BOOST STAFF MORALE

PRINCIPAL'S SOCIAL MEDIA CALENDAR

100 STOCK PHOTOS FOR YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CALENDAR

COACHES’ SOCIAL MEDIA PHOTOS PACK – 50 INSPIRING QUOTES FOR TEAMS

TURQUOISE POSITIVE PHONE CALLS – GOAL TRACKER

GRAY POSITIVE PHONE CALLS – GOAL TRACKER

50 BIBLE VERSE GRAPHICS FOR CHRISTIAN SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES

200 TEXT QUOTATIONS FOR THE PRINCIPAL’S SOCIAL MEDIA CALENDAR

BOOKMARK FOR SCHOOL, TEACHER, LIBRARIAN APPRECIATION

PRINCIPAL’S POWER PACK – JANUARY

PRINCIPAL’S POWER PACK – FEBRUARY

PRINCIPAL’S POWER PACK – MARCH

• (480) 368-8714

Veterans Day High School Essay Competition Now Open through Sept. 13

• Paula Pedene
• August 29, 2020

Honoring America’s Veterans (HAV) is inviting all Arizona High School students to share their stories of inspiration, hope, and gratitude for veterans by entering the annual Essay Competition. HAV awards cash prizes to the top four entries and their teachers.

This year’s theme is The USA, A Beacon of Liberty.  Essay judging will focus on the theme, creative writing, grammar, originality, and content.

“This year’s theme is especially poignant. In the challenging times we’re living in, and we can all use a beacon of light to help us see the way forward.  We believe that beacon will come from the next generation of young men and women who are starting their journeys”, said HAV President Brian Ishmael.

The competition is open to students in grades 9-12 in Arizona, including those who are homeschooled or attend online schools. Essays must be between 300 and 500 words long and include the student’s name, age, and grade, a teacher or parent’s name (if homeschooled), email and phone number, school name, address, and phone number. Entries must be submitted online.

The HAV Phoenix Veterans Day Event Essay Team will review all entries and choose the winners.   In addition to cash prizes, the top four entries will receive recognition during the 2020 Phoenix Veterans Day Online Event, and HAV will post the winning essays online.  Additionally, the teacher listed on the winning student’s entry will receive a cash reward to use for his or her classroom.

“Being an essay winner was such an honor,” says Koriana Cannon, a contest winner from 2016. “Meeting the veterans and being part of the parade is an experience I will never forget. It made me even more thankful for all the people who have risked and lost their lives for America. You are my heroes.”

Every year I look forward to the opportunity to read the winning essays because they leave me inspired, awed, and hopeful for our future.  If you know a high school student, please encourage them to submit an entry online now through Sept. 13, 2020, at https://honoringamericasveterans.org/essay-competition/ .

• Privacy Policy
• Create a Website
• $1,000 Blog Tour
• Happiness Tour
• 5/11 Blog Tour
• Guest Posts
• Writing Prompts
• Writing Exercises
• Writing Tips
• Holiday Writing
• Writing Contest
• Comedy Channel
• Prompts eBook
• Kids Writing Book
• 9 to 5 Writer Book
• Writing Tips eBook
• Happiness Book
• TpT Reviews
• Read These Books
• Motivation Help
• Time Management
• Healthy Living
• Grades 9-10
• Grades 11-12
• First Grade
• Second Grade
• Third Grade
• Fourth Grade
• Fifth Grade
• 1,000 Character Writing Prompts
• 1,000 Creative Holiday Prompts

Veterans Day Writing Prompts #2

171. What are some creative ways you can show support for a military serviceman? Which do you think he or she would like the best and why?

172. Create a conversation between two members of the Armed Forces who are stationed overseas during Veterans Day. What might they have to discuss and why?

173. Imagine that you are planning a party for a member of your family returning from military service. Who would you invite and what activities would you have available at the party?

174. The USO is an organization that boosts the morale of troops in part by sending entertainers all over the world to improve their spirits. If you were in the military, what entertainment would you want to see to keep your mood positive and why?

175. Imagine that you and your family have gone to one of the major monuments that honor military troops. Describe what it might look like and the different kinds of people you might see there. How do you think such a sight would make you feel?

176. Many soldiers are courageous in defending the nation and its people. What do you think it means to be courageous? Describe a time that you were courageous. What was it that made you display such courage?

177. In the past in the United States, people could be drafted into the military even if they didn't want to go. Do you think it's better that only volunteers go to the military now or do you think many people should be forced to serve? Why?

178. Imagine that you and your family have gone to volunteer at a veterans hospital. What would you do to help out the veterans at the facility? How might they express their appreciation for your help?

179. What do you think it means to serve your country? Other than military servicemen and women, who are some people who you think serve the country? Why?

180. What benefits do you think military servicemen should get when they return from active duty? Why do you think they deserve those benefits?

• Expository Writing Prompts
• Essay Writing Prompts
• Fiction Writing Prompt
• Short Story Topics
• Narrative Writing Prompts
• First and Second Grade Writing Practice
• Third and Fourth Grade Writing Practice
• Fifth and Sixth Grade Writing Practice
• 1,000 Creative Writing Prompts

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

• Click on the HTML link code below.
• Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.
• Latest Posts

Write a Story Based on These Prompts or This Article!

Use the above prompts or article as inspiration to write a story or other short piece.

Enter Your Title

Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional)  

Click here to upload more images (optional)

Author Information (optional)

To receive credit as the author, enter your information below.

Submit Your Contribution

• Check box to agree to these   submission guidelines .
• I am at least 16 years of age.
• I understand and accept the privacy policy .
• I understand that you will display my submission on your website.

(You can preview and edit on the next page)

• What's New?

ADDITIONAL INFO

Breaking News -

• Newsletters
• Reading History

Winning entries in Veterans Day essay writing contest

Rifle Rifle | Dec 1, 2015

Five winners were selected in a local Veterans Day essay writing contest at the Rifle Veteran’s Community Center. The theme for the essay was honoring all who served in times of was and times of peace.

Entries were accepted from six categories of groups: elementary students, middle school students, high school students, employees, family members and elders. Below are the five winning entries by category.

Elementary school

Thank you for serving our country. First, if you did not serve we probably won’t be a free country. If you did not serve we would probably be shot and killed. Second, I like the military. I think it is cool because you saved us. Third, my heroes don’t wear capes, they wear helmets and military clothes. That is why I thank you for serving in the military. That is why I love the military and that is why I thank you for keeping us alive. Again, thank you for serving our country again.

Laykin Godeski

Support Local Journalism

Middle school

Hero. When I was tasked with writing this essay I thought of what hero meant, but not just some old dictionary meaning—what it meant to me.

Heroes have appeared time and time again throughout history. From the militia men who repelled the first attacks at Lexington and Concord to the disciplined Army that fought and won our independence at the Battle of Yorktown.

Then on to Francis Barlow, who had the determination to rise from the rank of Private all the way to General and to be the only one to do so in the Civil War. By doing this he instilled in his men the will to fight and the idea that anything was possible.

On further still to Roosevelt’s Roughriders and the dough boys of World War I, then to the men and women who served in World War II and the Rangers who climbed Pointe du Hoc and aided in the attack on D-Day.

These courageous men and women were willing to make sacrifices to not only keep their own people safe and free, but were willing to fight and even give their lives to free the oppressed.

Moving further and closer to today, I think of the men and women who served during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. From the soldiers fighting in the jungles and in the mountains to the M.A.S.H. units that treated and cared for our men.

Now as we look upon our current conflicts, we see the modern versions of the units and special forces teams that were created long ago. We see the Rangers and the men of the 10th Mountain Division who trekked the mountains of Italy in World War II. We see the Airborne, an elite breed of men. We watch as our Navy stands tall and shows us that we are protected. We see the men and women of the Air Force and we see the Marines, the few, the proud, and the brave.

I also see those of the Wounded Warrior Project that helps our brave soldiers when they return home.

When I started this essay, I thought of the meaning of hero. Heroism is not only defined by brave acts, but it is defined also by the will to lay down your own life for another and to keep others safe. I think the term hero can be used to describe all who have served in times of war and in times of peace. We should honor them by not only paying tribute this Veterans Day and those to come, but to always remember their courageous acts under fire and also during times of peace.

Tegan Costanzo

High school

Nov. 11, 2015 is a day that we should all take part in and remember all of the people who have served in times of war and peace. It’s a day to be thankful for we can look at our loved ones who have served and even look at what these unsung heroes took part in. The day is a time of love, sorrow, and a bit of history as we honor our veterans who served in the times of war and peace.

Most importantly, it is a day to show love to the people we know to show our support. On this day it is even important to not only love to the people we know, but to even love the people we don’t know and most importantly the country they fought for. This love can easily be standing up for the pledge or for the national anthem. What this does is show love and honor to the country and to all that served and are still serving to this day. So when honoring all who have served in times of war and peace, giving love helps that much better.

Now, on a day like this day it is easy to have a feeling of sorrow. The feeling of sorrow is only remembering and honoring those that we have lost from serving in the war. Sorrow is the greatest support we can give to these lost veterans because it is one of the deepest feelings we get as humans. It shows our utmost and greatest support to the veterans and they get that

feeling as well. Now on this day, this feeling does nothing but help honor all who have served in the times of war and in the times of peace.

With this day a little bit of history can be a big factor when honoring this country and honoring the people who fought for this country. For the people who fought in these wars, its best to know what happened in the wars to remember our history of this country. It is best to remember history because it is easy to say that history never goes away. When doing this we can honor our veterans in a way that maybe we couldn’t before because we just didn’t know what they went through at the time. So it is clear that history is an important part in honoring the all who have served in a time of war and a time of peace.

Many feelings, mixed emotions, and thoughts will be present on the day of November 11, 2015. All we can do is come together so we can all love, feel sorrow, and gain knowledge of history to honor all that served in times of war and in times of peace.

Cody Hinkley

Family member/active service member

I write this today in honor of man, of sacrifice and of love. I have seen many good men, I have seen one great man die. I have fought and I have bled for a country that I love and who loves me. I see honor in my comrades, honor in my profession and honor in my duty. My heart has been forged through generations of servitude and I stand today as a servant to my country, which gave me the privilege to fight for something larger than myself, to my fellow soldiers who give me the drive to protect them. To my family, whom it is my honor to have known, served, and been served by. To my Father who is proud of my meager accomplishments, my many faults and my true wish to honor him with the life I lead, the lives I make and the lives I must take. My Father who has more wisdom than I could every strive to attain. To my Mother who never allowed me to wallow in my selfish pity. I humble myself under her knowing gaze and I find warmth, happiness, love and hope in her precious embrace. To my brother and sister, a part of me in each, I am honored to have known such great siblings, my brother, gentle with strength I could only dream of; my sister, her compassion, will and energy are extraordinary, for she is unique. To my friends who have stood by me through troubled times, I will honor you with this sacrifice. I serve freely, and without remorse, honor comes from serving. I am a servant to my God, whether in righteousness or sin, my very breath honors him, for he placed in my life and his creations are an honor unto Him. To every person who has served, in this time, I serve you, to each man his own God, and I pray that God be as perfect and forgiving as my own. Through me, may all humanity be honored for life, simple, perfect, God given life which is the choices we make. I have found the meaning of life, it is willing, unbiased servitude for to be a servant, one can understand what a King is, a servant of the people and the King of Kings is a servant to all people, to all life, and to me, and I am honored.

Spc. Ryan Elkins

U.S. Army, 7th Calvary

Serving in the military is both a duty, honor and a privilege to serve ur great country. When the time comes for us to go, it is the first time for many to leave home. To leave our wives, our children, our Mothers, our Fathers, our Brothers and Sisters, and our lifelong friends.

The first few nights, it is not uncommon to hear these recruits at bed time crying caused by their loneliness. As time goes by, and they are in intense, and demanding training they become hardened and you realize you have made a commitment for your future. Then comes the time to ship out and you are quick to face the real world, a cruel world. You are here to serve your country. Times goes by and and you have followed the orders given to you and you have had a lot of luck bestowed on you, ready to go home to your family that you left behind and to your beloved country that you were willing to give your life for it makes you feel you have done your duty. You come home a different person and ready to take on the world and you are capable of doing whatever life hands you, and you raise your children to be ready to serve your country as you have done if duty calls.

Larry Velasquez

Resident at the Veteran’s Community Living Center in Rifle

Rifle’s Heritage Day as shown by wedding dresses

May 29, 2024

Rifle City Council looks to ‘ride the fence’ on immigration proclamations

PHOTOS: Rifle High school class of 2024 graduation

May 26, 2024

Garfield County honors man  for his actions in saving lives during crash on Highway 82

May 23, 2024

Rifle High School senior spotlight: Brianna Banuelos Castillo

May 22, 2024

Reservoir releases will boost peak Colorado River flows this weekend

Jun 4, 2024

Glenwood Hot Springs Resort unveils five new mineral pools 

Jun 6, 2024

Body found in Glenwood Canyon ID’ed as Avon resident

Jun 5, 2024

2024 Strawberry Days lineup announced

Stranded in the Roaring Fork Valley? Jet service offers flights through Rifle as Aspen airport recovers from runway fire

Readers around Glenwood Springs and Garfield County make the Post Independent’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.

Nearby Communities

• Berkeley, NJ
• Lakewood, NJ
• Point Pleasant, NJ
• Manchester, NJ
• Manasquan-Belmar, NJ
• Freehold, NJ

State Edition

National edition.

• Top National News
• See All Communities

Toms River Students Honored For Veterans Day Essays

The students were winners of the veterans of foreign wars student essay contest.

Karen Wall , Patch Staff

(PHOTO: Winners of the Veterans of Foreign Wars essay contest at the Toms River Township Council meeting. Credit: Karen Wall)

Students from the township’s schools and Donovan Catholic were honored recently by the Toms River Township Council as the winners of the annual Veterans Day essay contest presented by the Veterans of Foreign Wars in cooperation with the Toms River Veterans Council.

Commander David Perez of VFW Post 6063 presented the students and praised their efforts on the essays. Sarah Cullifer of Toms River High School South, the high school winner, and David Malone, the first-place winner from Toms River Intermediate South in the intermediate school contest, shared their essays, which addressed the topic, “Why I appreciate my veterans.”

Find out what's happening in Toms River with free, real-time updates from Patch.

The winners:

High school: 1. Sarah Cullifer, Toms River South; 2. Jonathan Flagg, Donovan Catholic; 3. Kyril Kavetsky, Toms River East.

Intermediate school: 1. David Maloney, Toms River Intermediate South; 2. Sam Webber, Toms River Intermediate North; 3. Jack Seitz, Toms River Intermediate East.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Toms River

Nj boat safety classes – in-person & online classes.

Toms River Driver Arrested In Jackson Crash That Killed Child, Woman

Toms River Lays Off Shelter Staff, Preps For Turnover To Ocean County

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

French children hail D-Day veterans as heroes as they arrive in Normandy for anniversary events

Crowds welcomed World War II veterans who arrived in Deauville, France, on Monday. The group traveled from the US to take part in events marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. (AP video shot by Nicholas Garriga)

An American D-Day veteran is welcomed at Deauville airport, Monday, June 3, 2024 in Deauville, Normandy to attend D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations. (AP Photo/Alexander Turnbull)

• Copy Link copied

American D-Day veterans sit during a welcoming ceremony at Deauville airport, Monday, June 3, 2024 in Deauville, Normandy to attend D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations. (AP Photo/Alexander Turnbull)

American D-Day veterans arrive at Deauville airport, Monday, June 3, 2024 in Deauville, Normandy to attend D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations. (AP Photo/Alexander Turnbull)

American D-Day veterans are welcomed by US soldiers at Deauville airport, Monday, June 3, 2024 in Deauville, Normandy to attend D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations. (AP Photo/Alexander Turnbull)

DEAUVILLE AIRPORT, France (AP) — ‘’To our forever heroes: Thank you’’ — those words inscribed by French schoolchildren on a big poster greeted dozens of U.S. World War II veterans, many in their 100s, as they arrived on Monday in Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings .

France’s first lady Brigitte Macron and top French officials met the 48 veterans from around the U.S. as they arrived at the Deauville-Normandy Airport on board a special flight from Atlanta , on a trip organized by the non-profit Best Defense Foundation.

Children from local schools held up the poster, and sang the French and U.S. national anthems.

“Welcome to France,” Brigitte Macron said, speaking in English, expressing her “deepest respect” and “deepest love” to the veterans. “You fought for our freedom. You have always decided to educate the younger generation so that we never forget. Thank you for your commitment, thank you for the sacrifices you have made.”

Among the veterans was Jake Larson , a 101-year-old American best known on social media under the name “Papa Jake,” He joined the National Guard when he was 15 for the money and landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day, where he ran under machine-gun fire and made it to the cliffs without being wounded.

“I am the luckiest man in the world,” Larson said as he arrived in Normandy for D-Day commemorations. Papa Jake has more than 800,000 followers on TikTok.

After the landing, Larson remembers that he slept close to a comrade who had put his rifle by their side. “In the morning, when we got up, he picked up his rifle from my litter where I was going to sleep and it fell in two. A piece of shrapnel came down and hit the rifle and broke it in two,” he said.

Bob Gibson, 100, was drafted into the Army in 1943 and was sent to Britain. On June 6, 1944, Gibson and his unit landed on Utah Beach in the second wave of Allied landings.

He remembers it “like it happened yesterday.” Upon arriving at the Deauville airport, he said, “I want to see the beach again.”

The veterans will take part in parades, school visits and ceremonies — including the official June 6 commemoration of the landings by soldiers from across the United States, Britain, Canada and other Allied nations on five beaches.

The trip also includes high school and college students selected to escort the veterans and learn about their experiences. Charter flights also took veterans from Atlanta to France in 2022 and 2023.

On Sunday, the group of veterans, donning customized jackets commemorating the anniversary, arrived at the Atlanta airport to the clapping and cheering from the flight crew and the Dutchtown High School marching band from Hampton, Georgia. The veterans were then guided through the airport to their terminal in a parade headed by the marching band.

Sharon Johnson and Jeff Amy in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Dwindling number of D-Day veterans mark anniversary with plea to recall WWII lessons in today’s wars

OMAHA BEACH, France (AP) — As young soldiers, they waded through breaking waves and gunfire to battle the Nazis. Now bent with age, the dwindling number of World War II veterans joined a new generation of leaders on Thursday to honor the dead, the living and the fight for democracy on the shores where they landed 80 years ago on D-Day.

The war in Ukraine shadowed the ceremonies in Normandy, a grim modern-day example of lives and cities that are again suffering through war in Europe. Ukraine’s president was greeted with a standing ovation and cheers. Russia, a crucial World War II ally whose full-scale invasion of its smaller neighbor in 2022 set Europe on a new path of war, was not invited.

The commemorations for the more than 4,400 Allied dead on D-Day and many tens of thousands more, including French civilians , killed in the ensuing Battle of Normandy were tinged with fear that World War II lessons are fading .

“There are things worth fighting for,” said Walter Stitt, who fought in tanks and turns 100 in July, as he visited Omaha Beach this week. “Although I wish there was another way to do it than to try to kill each other.”

“We’ll learn one of these days, but I won’t be around for that,” he said.

U.S. President Joe Biden directly linked Ukraine’s fight for its young democracy to the battle to defeat Nazi Germany.

“To surrender to bullies, to bow down to dictators is simply unthinkable,” Biden said. “If we were to do that, it means we’d be forgetting what happened here on these hallowed beaches.”

As now-centenarian veterans revisited old memories and fallen comrades buried in Normandy graves , Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s presence at the international D-Day commemoration fused World War II’s awful past with the fraught present. The dead and wounded on both sides in Ukraine are estimated in the hundreds of thousands.

Despite Russia’s absence, French President Emmanuel Macron paid homage to those who fought on the eastern front “and the resolute commitment of the Red Army and all the people who were part of the then-Soviet Union.”

But it was the landing on June 6, 1944, and the battles in Normandy that followed that ultimately drove the Nazis from France.

“You came here because the free world needed each and every one of you, and you answered the call,” Macron said. “You came here to make France a free nation. You’re back here today at home, if I may say.”

The French president awarded the Legion of Honor to 14 U.S. veterans and a British female veteran. Among the Americans was Edward Berthold, a pilot who carried out his three missions over France in May 1944, before taking part in an operation in Saint-Lo, in Normandy, on D-Day. He flew 35 combat missions in all during World War II.

Berthold later read aloud a letter he’d written home the next day, showing that even as a young man he was aware of D-Day’s importance.

“Wednesday night, June 7th, 1944. Dear Mom, just a few lines to tell you we are all ok. We flew mission number 10 on D-Day,” he wrote. “It certainly was a terrific show, what we could see. This is what everyone has been waiting for.”

Macron also bestowed the Legion of Honor on 103-year-old Christian Lamb, the daughter of a Royal Navy admiral who was studying in Normandy in 1939 when her father called her back to London. There, Lamb created detailed maps that guided the crews of landing craft on D-Day.

The French president bent down to Lamb in a wheelchair, pin the medal and kiss her on both cheeks, describing her as one of the “heroes in the shadows.”

Conscious of the inevitability of age and time for World War II veterans, throngs of aficionados in period uniforms and vehicles, along with tourists soaking up the spectacle, flooded Normandy for the 80th anniversary. At the international ceremony later, the veterans received a standing ovation as they were paraded before the stands in a stately line of wheelchairs to avoid the long walk across the beachfront promenade.

“We just have to remember the sacrifices of everybody who gave us our freedom,” said Becky Kraubetz, a Briton now living in Florida whose grandfather served with the British Army during World War II and was captured in Malta. She was among a crowd of thousands of people that stretched for several kilometers (miles) along Utah Beach, the westernmost of the D-Day beaches.

In a quiet spot away from the pomp, France’s Christophe Receveur offered his own tribute, unfurling an American flag he had bought on a trip to Pennsylvania to honor those who died on D-Day.

“To forget them is to let them die all over again,” the 57-year-old said as he and his daughter, Julie, carefully refolded the flag into a tight triangle. Those now dying in Ukraine fighting the invading Russian army were also on his mind.

“All these troops came to liberate a country that they didn’t know for an ideology — democracy, freedom — that is under severe strain now,” he said.

For Warren Goss, a 99-year-old American veteran of D-Day who landed in the first waves on Utah Beach, the sacrifice was affirmed by a visit years later to the same place where his comrades fell.

“I looked at the beach and it was beautiful, all the people, the kids were playing and I see the boys and girls were walking, holding hands, with their life back,” he told the Danish king and prime minister, who hung on his words.

The fair-like atmosphere on the five code-named beaches — Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword — was fueled by World War II-era jeeps and trucks tearing down hedge-rowed lanes so deadly for Allied troops who fought dug-in German defenders, and of reenactors playing at war on sands where D-Day soldiers fell.

But the real VIPs of the commemorations across the Normandy coast were the veterans who took part in the largest-ever land, sea and air armada that punctured Hitler’s defenses in Western Europe and helped precipitate his downfall 11 months later.

“They really were the golden generation, those 17-, 18-year-old guys doing something so brave,” said James Baker, a 56-year-old from the Netherlands, reflecting on Utah Beach.

Farther up the coast on Gold Beach, a military bagpiper played at precisely the time that British troops landed there 80 years ago.

The United Kingdom’s King Charles III and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak were among those at a ceremony to honor the troops who landed there and on Sword Beach, while Prince William and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined others at ceremony for the Canadian troops at Juno Beach.

In his address, the king told the crowd that the world was fortunate that a generation “did not flinch” when they were called upon.

“Our obligation to remember what they stood for and what they achieved for us all can never diminish,” he said.

Speaking in French, Charles also paid tribute to the “unimaginable number” of French civilians killed in the battle for Normandy, and the bravery and sacrifice of the French Resistance.

Those who traveled to Normandy include women who were among the millions who built bombers, tanks and other weaponry and played other vital World War II roles that were long overshadowed by the combat exploits of men.

Feted everywhere they go in wheelchairs and walking with canes, veterans are using their voices to repeat their message they hope will live eternal: Never forget.

“We weren’t doing it for honors and awards. We were doing it to save our country,” said 98-year-old Anna Mae Krier, who worked as a riveter building B-17 and B-29 bombers. “We ended up helping save the world.”

Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London, and Jeffrey Schaeffer, Mark Carlson, Bela Szandelszky, Helena Alves and Alex Turnbull along the Normandy coast, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Man killed in overnight Montgomery shooting

Son: Dad was on phone when Montgomery triple murder happened

Gun violence balloon release turns into protest in Montgomery

Minor power outage in Eclectic as fire department saves small child

Stop the Violence Walk held in Montgomery’s Highland Gardens community

Latest news.

4-year-old girl dies after dad’s car rear-ended by alleged drunken driver

Celtics beat Mavericks 105-98 to take 2-0 lead in NBA Finals

A few rain & storms are possible tonight and into the day Monday

Off-duty officer charged with attempted murder after road rage incident

NJ: Off-duty officer charged with attempted murder

A Christian group teaches public school students during the school day. Their footprint is growing

The Associated Press

June 9, 2024, 12:01 AM

• Share This:
• share on facebook
• share on threads
• share on linkedin
• share on email

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Ohio nonprofit that provides off-site Bible instruction to public school students during classroom hours says it will triple its programs in Indiana this fall after new legislation forced school districts to comply.

To participating families, nondenominational LifeWise Academy programs supplement religious instruction. But critics in Indiana worry the programs spend public school resources on religion, proselytize to students of other faiths and remove children from class in a state already struggling with literacy .

LifeWise founder and CEO Joel Penton told The Associated Press that many parents want religious instruction to be part of their children’s education.

“Values of faith and the Bible are absolutely central to many families,” Penton said. “And so they want to demonstrate to their children that it is central to their lives.”

Public schools cannot promote any religion under the First Amendment, but a 1952 Supreme Court ruling centered on New York schools cleared the way for programs like LifeWise. Individual places of worship often work with schools to host programs off campus, and they are not regulated in some states.

LifeWise officials addressed the Oklahoma and Ohio legislatures in support of laws that would require schools to cooperate with off-site religious programs, Penton said, and Oklahoma’s Republican governor signed one such bill into law Wednesday.

Similar bills have been introduced in Ohio, Nebraska, Georgia and Mississippi this year, according to an AP analysis of Plural, a legislative tracking database.

LifeWise programs will be available at over 520 locations in 23 states next school year, up from 331 in 13 states this year, and about 31,000 students attend LifeWise programs in the U.S., Penton said.

Penton wants LifeWise to be available to “50 million public school students nationwide,” he said.

In Indiana, Republican state Rep. Kendell Culp introduced the legislation requiring principals to allow students to attend release-time religious education after a rural school stopped cooperating with LifeWise. The bill was signed into law in March and subsequently 45 Indiana schools will work with the company this fall, triple the number from last year.

LifeWise Academy, based in Hilliard, Ohio, is funded by donors, including more than $13 million in contributions from July 2022 to June 2023, according to its latest federal report.

The curriculum was developed in conjunction with the Gospel Project, a Bible study plan produced by an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention , Penton said. Instructors are provided with guidance on how to respond to difficult questions, including about the afterlife and sex. LifeWise opposes same-sex marriage, as well as transgender and gender-fluid identities.

“Our guide helps classroom educators address these questions with compassion, humility and respect,” Penton said in a statement.

Chris Paulsen, CEO of LGBTQ+ rights advocacy group Indiana Youth Group, voiced concern that children can receive Christian religious instruction during the school day “yet no one can talk about queer families.” Indiana bans “human sexuality” instruction in schools through third grade.

LifeWise staff and volunteers either bus or drive students from school to the program sites, or use spaces near schools and supervise children walking there.

Indiana law and the 1952 Supreme Court ruling say no public funds can be spent on supplemental religious education, but critics worry schools expend public resources on scheduling and getting children to and from the programs.

“It just puts another burden on the teachers,” said Michelle Carrera, a high school English teacher in Culp’s district.

Democratic lawmakers derided the new law when literacy scores and attendance are down and said it violates the separation of church and state guaranteed in the First Amendment.

“Saying that a religious organization can mandate scheduling at a school strikes me as a fundamental violation of that important American principle,” said Indiana House Education Committee member Ed DeLaney, a Democrat.

Jennifer Matthias, on Fort Wayne Community Schools’ board of trustees, opposes a new program in her district, especially because recent Republican-led legislation establishes stronger literacy requirements for elementary students.

“How can removing students from the academic day benefit them?” she said.

Backers argue the LifeWise model allows low-income students who cannot afford after-school programs to receive supplemental religious instruction. Culp said the Indiana law gives parents a greater say in their children’s education.

“This is really more about parental rights,” he said.

Christa Sullinger, 46, began sending her 10-year-old son to LifeWise in Garrett, Indiana, last year. With baseball activities on Sundays, the family sometimes misses church and LifeWise fills in the gaps.

“What a great way to solidify our faith,” Sullinger said.

LifeWise says it does not teach programs during classes such as math or reading, but rather during lunch, recess or electives including library, art or gym. Children can attend for up to two hours a week under Indiana law.

The West Central School Corporation in rural Pulaski County, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of Indianapolis, said 64% of its 345 elementary school students attended LifeWise during library this past school year.

West Central School Corporation Superintendent Cathy Rowe said there may be students who feel left out if they don’t attend LifeWise, but that is up to the parents.

“It’s been very well supported in our community,” she said.

The district was often at the center of discussion during the passage of Indiana’s bill. Opponents said if only a handful of children are left at school, they may feel pressure to join or alienated if they are not religiously affiliated or practice another faith.

Some children promote the program to their classmates of their own volition, Penton said.

“We’re grateful when students find joy in our program and spread the word,” he said.

Demrie Alonzo, a tutor of English as a second language in Fredericktown, Ohio, said she saw one LifeWise representative tell one of her third-grade students, who is Hindu, that they could teach her about Jesus. An investigation ensued, resulting in school superintendent Gary Chapman reminding Fredericktown Local School District and LifeWise officials to refrain from soliciting student participation during school hours.

Children from “a diverse array of backgrounds” participate, Penton said.

“I felt it was extremely inappropriate,” Alonzo said.

Associated Press researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed from New York.

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Related News

Howard University cuts ties with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs after video of attack on Cassie

Judge orders temporary halt to UC academic workers’ strike over war in Gaza

Probe launched after Jewish student group omitted from New Jersey high school yearbook

Recommended.

Capital Pride's test run for World Pride

PHOTOS: 2024 Capital Pride and Block Party in DC

A unique type of tiny house could solve homelessness crisis among US veterans

Related categories:.

Berrien County veterans receive ‘Quilts of Valor’

THREE OAKS, Mich. (WNDU) - Several local veterans in Berrien County received special “Quilts of Valor” on Saturday at Carver Park as part of Flag Day Weekend in Three Oaks.

The event’s mission is to cover military veterans touched by war with comforting and healing quilts made by local makers.

The inside of the blanket says, “Thank you for your service and sacrifice in serving our nation.”

“It means a whole lot,” says Ed McKie, a quily recipient who served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. “I don’t really know how to explain it, but it’s something wonderful that people do for veterans.”

“I think that this ceremony is really important, especially for the Vietnam-era veterans,” says Emily Burris, a quilt recipient and U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan. “It’s a warm welcome home, like I was.”

This presentation is also going to be part of the Three Oaks Flag Day documentary being made by summer residents Andrew and Melissa Shea, who have premiered many films at worldwide festivals.

For more information on Three Oaks Flag Day Weekend, click here .

Copyright 2024 WNDU. All rights reserved.

6-year-old girl killed in freak badminton accident while on vacation with family

Man stabbed at Goshen bar

Fights break out after Washington High School’s graduation at Notre Dame

New Prairie baseball wins semi-state; Concord, Rochester, Westview fall

First Alert Weather: Beautiful Evening But Cool Start To Week

Latest news.

‘World’s Largest Flag Day Parade’ held for 72nd year in Three Oaks

Mishawaka Market opens for 2024 season

Rebel Art Fest showcases ‘off the beaten path’ art, music

Pool floatie race returns to South Bend’s East Race Waterway

South Bend police celebrate end of school year with free cookout

French children hail D-Day veterans as heroes as they arrive in Normandy for anniversary events

An American D-Day veteran is welcomed at Deauville airport, Monday, June 3, 2024 in Deauville, Normandy to attend D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations. Credit: AP/Alexander Turnbull

DEAUVILLE AIRPORT, France — ‘’To our forever heroes: Thank you'' — those words inscribed by French schoolchildren on a big poster greeted dozens of U.S. World War II veterans, many in their 100s, as they arrived on Monday in Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

France’s first lady Brigitte Macron and top French officials met the 48 veterans from around the U.S. as they arrived at the Deauville-Normandy Airport on board a special flight from Atlanta, on a trip organized by the non-profit Best Defense Foundation.

Children from local schools held up the poster, and sang the French and U.S. national anthems.

“Welcome to France,” Brigitte Macron said, speaking in English, expressing her “deepest respect” and “deepest love” to the veterans. “You fought for our freedom. You have always decided to educate the younger generation so that we never forget. Thank you for your commitment, thank you for the sacrifices you have made.”

Among the veterans was Jake Larson, a 101-year-old American best known on social media under the name “Papa Jake,” He joined the National Guard when he was 15 for the money and landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day, where he ran under machine-gun fire and made it to the cliffs without being wounded.

Get the latest breaking news as it happens.

By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy .

“I am the luckiest man in the world,” Larson said as he arrived in Normandy for D-Day commemorations. Papa Jake has more than 800,000 followers on TikTok.

After the landing, Larson remembers that he slept close to a comrade who had put his rifle by their side. “In the morning, when we got up, he picked up his rifle from my litter where I was going to sleep and it fell in two. A piece of shrapnel came down and hit the rifle and broke it in two,” he said.

American D-Day veterans sit during a welcoming ceremony at Deauville airport, Monday, June 3, 2024 in Deauville, Normandy to attend D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations. Credit: AP/Alexander Turnbull

Bob Gibson, 100, was drafted into the Army in 1943 and was sent to Britain. On June 6, 1944, Gibson and his unit landed on Utah Beach in the second wave of Allied landings.

He remembers it “like it happened yesterday.” Upon arriving at the Deauville airport, he said, “I want to see the beach again.”

The veterans will take part in parades, school visits and ceremonies — including the official June 6 commemoration of the landings by soldiers from across the United States, Britain, Canada and other Allied nations on five beaches.

The trip also includes high school and college students selected to escort the veterans and learn about their experiences. Charter flights also took veterans from Atlanta to France in 2022 and 2023.

American D-Day veterans arrive at Deauville airport, Monday, June 3, 2024 in Deauville, Normandy to attend D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations. Credit: AP/Alexander Turnbull

On Sunday, the group of veterans, donning customized jackets commemorating the anniversary, arrived at the Atlanta airport to the clapping and cheering from the flight crew and the Dutchtown High School marching band from Hampton, Georgia. The veterans were then guided through the airport to their terminal in a parade headed by the marching band.

Racehorses at Belmont are dying at higher rates Thoroughbreds have died at Belmont Park at higher rates than at other tracks, despite officials' efforts to reduce horse racing deaths.

Get more on these and other NewsdayTV stories

Most Popular

Latest videos.

Unlimited Digital Access Only 25¢ for 5 months

• Bahasa Indonesia
• Eastern Europe
• Moscow Oblast

Elektrostal

Elektrostal Localisation : Country Russia , Oblast Moscow Oblast . Available Information : Geographical coordinates , Population, Altitude, Area, Weather and Hotel . Nearby cities and villages : Noginsk , Pavlovsky Posad and Staraya Kupavna .

Information

Find all the information of Elektrostal or click on the section of your choice in the left menu.

• Update data

Elektrostal Demography

Information on the people and the population of Elektrostal.

Elektrostal Geography

Geographic Information regarding City of Elektrostal .

Elektrostal Distance

Distance (in kilometers) between Elektrostal and the biggest cities of Russia.

Elektrostal Map

Locate simply the city of Elektrostal through the card, map and satellite image of the city.

Elektrostal Nearby cities and villages

Elektrostal Weather

Weather forecast for the next coming days and current time of Elektrostal.

Elektrostal Sunrise and sunset

Find below the times of sunrise and sunset calculated 7 days to Elektrostal.

Elektrostal Hotel

Our team has selected for you a list of hotel in Elektrostal classified by value for money. Book your hotel room at the best price.

Elektrostal Nearby

Below is a list of activities and point of interest in Elektrostal and its surroundings.

Elektrostal Page

• Information /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#info
• Demography /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#demo
• Geography /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#geo
• Distance /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#dist1
• Map /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#map
• Nearby cities and villages /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#dist2
• Weather /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#weather
• Sunrise and sunset /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#sun
• Hotel /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#hotel
• Nearby /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#around
• Page /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#page
• Terms of Use
• Copyright © 2024 DB-City - All rights reserved
• Change Ad Consent Do not sell my data

• Games & Quizzes
• History & Society
• Science & Tech
• Biographies
• Animals & Nature
• Geography & Travel
• Arts & Culture
• On This Day
• One Good Fact
• New Articles
• Lifestyles & Social Issues
• Philosophy & Religion
• Politics, Law & Government
• World History
• Health & Medicine
• Browse Biographies
• Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
• Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
• Environment
• Fossils & Geologic Time
• Entertainment & Pop Culture
• Sports & Recreation
• Visual Arts
• Demystified
• Image Galleries
• Infographics
• Top Questions
• Britannica Kids
• Saving Earth
• Space Next 50
• Student Center

Elektrostal

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Elektrostal , city, Moscow oblast (province), western Russia . It lies 36 miles (58 km) east of Moscow city. The name, meaning “electric steel,” derives from the high-quality-steel industry established there soon after the October Revolution in 1917. During World War II , parts of the heavy-machine-building industry were relocated there from Ukraine, and Elektrostal is now a centre for the production of metallurgical equipment. Pop. (2006 est.) 146,189.