Happy Veterans Day!

The election is over! Whether or not your candidate prevailed, I think one thing most of us will agree on, no matter who currently fills our top position of power, is that America is a great country because we have our many freedoms! Our military has fought for those freedoms and today we Honor our Veterans!

Who is a Veteran? Who exactly do we Honor today? All members of our military past, present and future deserve honor, but as today is set aside for Veterans who are they? Each of us may picture something different when we think of a Veteran. Some even tend to confuse it or meld it with Memorial Day which is set aside to recognize our service members who have died defending our Country. Veterans Day is to celebrate those who are still in our presence. I have been in public places where Veterans are asked to stand to be recognized on this day. Not all do so. They may not feel like they fit the definition of a Veteran. For example, although my Dad served two years overseas in the Navy, he never felt comfortable standing to accept the recognition of a Veteran, he felt like those two years were not enough to qualify as a Veteran who deserved the honor.

So, I decided to track down the answer to the question of Who is a Veteran. The official definition of a Veteran is found in Title 38 of our United States Code and reads, The term “veteran” means a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable. Some people debate over the definition of ‘active military’, whether one served during wartime or peacetime. I prefer to Honor anyone who has served and believe that anyone who took the time to serve our country should be recognized, especially on this day.

Today, and really every day, the Bond and Botes family of attorneys and staff would like to honor and recognize all our Veterans and say “Thank You for your service”!  We also encourage you to take some time today to recognize a Veteran that this day was created to honor.  Whether or not you have time to attend a Veterans Day Parade, shake a Veteran’s hand, or say a prayer or take a moment of silence to quietly say thank you, do something to honor those that have defended your freedoms. Thank you and Happy Veterans Day! America is Great!