As the holidays creep closer and closer, I feel as if Veteran’s Day seems to get lost in the hype Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even New Year’s. I have to admit, that when I was growing up, all I knew was that Veteran’s Day was just another reason not to have school. Now that I am 25 years old (and a Social Studies teacher), I have a new found appreciation for the holiday and what it really entails. Veteran’s Day is so much more than just a day off from school, it is a holiday reserved to honor those who have served our country in order to protect the freedoms that we have today. Without those who either made the ultimate sacrifice or put their own lives on the line, our country would not be where it is today.
Veteran’s Day is one of my favorite holidays due to the fact that I have numerous amounts of friends that have enlisted and served many tours in the military throughout the years. No more than 2 months after we graduated high school in 2005, one of my best friends, Danny Fuentes, decided to join the army. Living three houses from each other, allowed Danny and I to develop a “brother and sister” type relationship. I distinctly remember going straight to his house after school and playing cards, talking about relationships, and what we wanted to do with our lives once we graduated high school. When he told me that he planned on joining the army I was extremely skeptical since after 9/11 (the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in NYC) we declared war and had sent troops into Afghanistan and different parts of the Middle East. My worst fear was that he would be sent to Afghanistan or Iraq. He was soon sent to North Carolina to complete boot camp but was still able to call me and send me letters. Luckily, he was able to spend the holidays at home and that was when he broke the news to his family and me. We learned that he was being sent overseas to serve a 4 month tour in Iraq as a “gunner.” He arrived in Iraq in early January and continued to keep in touch via email, phone calls, and letters. One morning at 5 am I received an instant message from Danny saying that he was going on a top secret assignment and that he missed and loved me like a sister. I was half asleep and as I went to respond I saw that he had already signed off. Little did I know that April, 7th, 2006 would be a day that would change my life forever.
Later that afternoon as I was getting ready for work (I was a waitress at the time) and my best friend kept calling me. I was already running late and figured that I would call her back on the ride to work. Just as I had finished getting ready she sent me the text message that I would never forget….”Danny is dead.” I quickly sprung from the bed and thought “this has to be a joke.” When I called her, I quickly began to feel faint and the last thing I remember was trying to sit down on my bed. A couple of minutes later I opened my eyes and my mother was standing over me asking what happened. When I explained to her what happened she was in shock. We quickly ran down the street to speak to Nancy (Danny’s mother) who stood strong and somehow comforted me. The next couple of days were extremely difficult and trying for everyone. His wake and funeral had so many people in attendance that Hempstead Turnpike had to be shut down. The following days flew by in a blur of crying and shock. I became extremely close to Nancy and the rest of Danny’s family over the years. Even though it will be 7 years this April, I still cry at the thought of him not being around. I know they say “time heals everything” but I haven’t felt any better since the day I found out.
The tragic loss of my best friend, Danny, has really put into perspective the importance of holidays like Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day. Thanks to Danny and those who have served in our military, we have the freedoms that we do today. They have protected us and fought for our country and deserve nothing but the highest amount of respect and honor. So if you ever see someone in uniform, make sure to thank them for their bravery and commitment to the United States and its people. They deserve the acknowledgement.
Happy Veteran’s Day to Danny and all those who have served this great country, you are greatly appreciated!
Here are 2 pictures of Danny while training back in 2005.
Vocabulary
- Entails – to consist of
- Numerous – Many
- Skeptical – to question; doubtful
- Tour – term used in the military that means a certain amount of time you spend at an assigned place
- Gunner – the soldier who sits on top of the hummer (car) with a gun in case they are attacked.
- Via – by the use of
- Sprung – to jump up
- Blur – to be unclear
- Tragic – Sad or heartbreaking
- Acknowledgement – to recognize
Vocabulary Practice
a. to question; doubtful
b. the soldier who sits on top of the hummer (car) with a gun in case they are attacked
c. to recognize
d. to consist of
e. by the use of
f. Many
g. to be unclear
h. to jump up
i. Sad or heartbreaking
j. term used in the military that means a certain amount of time you spend at an assigned place
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- Entails ______
- Numerous ______
- Skeptical ________
- Tour ________
- Gunner _______
- Via _________
- Sprung ______
- Blur ______
- Tragic _______
- Acknowledgment _______
A pronoun is used to take the place of a noun. Some pronouns are I, me, she, he, her, him, it, you, they, and them.
Here is a chart of the different pronouns.
Directions: Here are several sentences from the blog. Circle the pronoun(s) in each sentence (use the chart above to help you complete this activity).
1. As the holidays creep closer and closer, I feel as if Veteran’s Day seems to get lost in the hype Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even New Year’s.
2. Veteran’s Day is so much more than just a day off from school, it is a holiday reserved to honor those who have served our country in order to protect the freedoms that we have today.
3. I distinctly remember going straight to his house after school and playing cards, talking about relationships, and what we wanted to do with our lives once we graduated high school.
4. I was already running late and figured that I would call her back on the ride to work.
5. So if you ever see someone in uniform, make sure to thank them for their bravery and commitment to the United States and its people.
Grammar Practice
Directions: Choose the correct pronouns in the sentences below by circling them.
Example: She/her went home.
- They/Them come home with us.
- I/Me sat down.
- You played a game with he/him.
- The book belongs to me/I.
- They/Them played our favorite game.
- She/Her class is my favorite.
- We/Us ate dinner.
- She/Her went to the party.
- They were kicking themselves/theirs
- It was their/themselves textbook.
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