Thoughts on Veteran's Day

There is no doubt that our nation’s ‘most sacred day’ is Veteran’s day – a day to revere our ‘sacred’ brethren who so greatly deserve this honor.

Often lost in the cacophony and static that permeates our nation is the clear evidence that the strange experiment of democracy has provided to the world a constitution that has no parallel and a form of government that has no equal.

This experiment could not have existed, evolved, and sustained itself over the years without our veterans. These guardians of our democracy are not some chosen group, but our brothers and sisters who are guided by that ‘light from above’ to lay down their lives to preserve and protect our great nation. Alfred Lord Tennyson in ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ characterizes them best:

“Theirs not to make reply,

Theirs not to reason why,

Theirs but to do and die.”

It is precisely because of these ideals that they are so remarkable. It is precisely because of their deep-rooted commitment to be our guardians that they deserve our utmost respect.

On this day each year, we should remind ourselves of how much we owe each generation of veterans. No matter when or where our wars were fought, their collective effort has given us the freedom that we so deeply cherish today.

Passing the baton of freedom and democracy to the next generation requires that we educate ourselves not only on the sacrifices required of each of us, but also on the honor and glory of those among us who have made the ultimate sacrifice – and we can only do so by considering Veteran’s day the ‘The Most Sacred Day.’

Prakash Santhana

Holmdel Township Committeeman (2020-2022)