Rather than celebrating Veteran’s Day, I wish we could celebrate Armistice Day or…the end of all war as we know it.

 That would be wonderful. I would much rather like to live in a world without conflict. 

The unfortunate truth is that we don’t. There can, at times, under certain circumstances be a justified need for the military, for armed conflict. So I think it is worth our while to reflect on the positive aspects of the military and that’s what Veteran’s Day, to me at least—that’s the way I see it. 

I served in Afghanistan. I’m incredibly proud of what I did, what I saw my soldiers, much more importantly, do.

The selflessness, the enthusiasm, the effort, the humanity, the compassion that they put out. It’s quite interesting that I saw all of those traits displayed in the middle of a terrible situation, which is war.

What I find myself thinking about on Veteran’s Day is just how incredible the things that I witnessed, how incredible they were and how it was a shame that it took war to bring those activities to light. 

What I mean is that I wish Americans could see this service that veterans provide outside of the context of war. 

I wish we celebrated American service here at home in peacetime the same way that we seem to celebrate the service of veterans typically highlighted by combat service.

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I wish Americans could see this service that veterans provide outside of the context of war. 

Dan Bershinksi