Nov 11, 2015 4 min read

I love listening to young people’s voices. Today’s column is dedicated to honoring our veterans. Young people are often deep thinkers who consider the needs of their community and their country. It is my honor to provide them with a forum.

I also want to offer gratitude to the young people who were part of our Outreach and moved on to serve in the military. Please forgive if I forget to mention someone. Shout out to Scott Brownlee, Patrick Burgess, Zach Correll, Kashmere Farmer, Jared Hess, Ben Kerchner, Josh Larkin, Violet Lawson, Laura Maloney, Rodney Maze, Nicolas O’Brien, Scott Pugh, Jake Tripoli, Kenny Washington, Keith Winkelman and Ean Wise.

Sasha Edwards: On Veterans Day, I think about how we need to focus on veterans benefits and unemployment. Many veterans suffer from PTSD or are disabled because of injuries sustained while in service. Honoring veterans on Veterans Day is great, but we need to make sure that we honor and respect them every day by giving them a good standard of living.

Amara Kennedy: Veterans Day is a day when we honor those who have sacrificed their lives to serve our country. My family personally doesn’t do anything, but I know a lot of people who treat the day like kind of a birthday, with letting off balloons and having a celebration for our veterans. I think that is the right way to go. The day is about what these people did and do … for all of us.

Maiden Skye: On Veterans Day, I think of my family members who served our country, and about every single other veteran. I just take the time to try to really comprehend and appreciate what they have done for us. I think of how their actions helped shape what our country is today and the freedom we enjoy. I think we should honor our veterans by listening to their stories, thanking them for their services, or maybe even visiting the local Washington Cemetery and picking up all the fallen flags.

Matthew Stroop: I like Veterans Day. It’s a day when we honor people who sacrifice their todays for our tomorrows. There isn’t really a way to celebrate, I think. Maybe treat it as a Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, you know? The whole day should be about what they did and the sacrifices they made. Maybe a few fireworks, but not too crazy. It should be a day for celebration and thankfulness.

Maci Ward: When I think of Veterans Day, I think of all of the men and women who serve and have served in our military to keep America safe every day. I think it is an extremely important day and we should give those who serve recognition every day, not just on Veterans Day, because they are truly brave and courageous people to put their lives on the line for all of us. I really enjoy the Veterans Day assembly we have at Wash High because not only do we honor all branches of the military, but we invite veterans who would like to speak and tell us about their experiences and stories. It’s very inspiring to hear them talk. Also, the parade we have in town is another really nice way to honor our vets. Lastly, I’d like to thank anyone who has served/is currently serving in our military. Thank you for keeping my family and me safe every day.

Landan Weakland: Veterans Day is a time when we honor those who gave us their service in combat and in peacetime. Most of the time for me, it passes with notice. My family doesn’t really do anything to celebrate it, and it just goes by like another day.

Have a question? Send it to Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski’s email at podmj@healthyteens.com.