For history teacher Kurt Barickman, one of the sacrifices made was the life of his older brother Leon. Leon and Kurt would watch a WWII TV show named Combat! together. This show sparked their enthusiasm and interest in the military. The spark from Combat!, mixed with the fact they both came from a military family, made it only logical for Leon to join the Marines during the Vietnam War. Leon was in the forests of Vietnam before he finally sent a letter to his waiting family saying he was coming home. “In the morning we got a letter saying, ‘I’m coming home. Get my Corvette and civilian clothes because this kid’s coming home.’ That same day a Marine recruiter came to tell us that he was dead and killed in action. I don’t think he ever even got to drive his car,” said Barickman.

The loss of their son and brother deeply affected the Barickman family. Years after the loss, Barickman’s mom still lay on the couch and cried while his dad worked double time. In this darkness, a small light shone when Barickman’s older brother had a son and named him Leon Ross II.

“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”

In September of 1919, President Wilson proclaimed Sept. 11, the day World War II ended, to be a national holiday commemorating the soldiers who fought and died for our country. The day was known as Armistice Day. Armistice Day was originally supposed to be for World War I veterans, but in 1954 it was decided the day should be changed to honor veterans of all wars, and so the name was changed to Veterans Day.

The purpose of Veterans Day is to acknowledge the sacrifices soldiers have made to ensure the rights of citizens of the proud country of the United States.

For others, like 92-year-old WWII veteran Wally Winegar, the sacrifice is physical. Winegar voluntarily joined the Navy out of a sense of duty in 1943. Although he technically was in the Navy Winegar was a gunner in an airplane off the coast of Florida. His job was to gun down enemy submarines. With the thousands of hours Winegar put into the service, he never saw a single submarine. All the time Winegar put in without earplugs caused him to have 70 percent disability in his ears, which later resulted in him having to have a cochlear implant.

Winegar returned home to his farm in one piece without any bells and whistles. “[My mom] was just thankful I was home in one piece,” said Winegar.

Veterans Day is a day to acknowledge the sacrifices veterans have made and to thank them for shaping our country into what it is today.

“I think we forget to thank them for their service because our lives are what they are, because of what they did for their country,” Winegar’s niece Judy Carpenter said.