Veterans Day is often looked at as a convenient excuse to get a day off from work and/or school. It is exploited by businesses as an opportunity to have “sales” and special offers.

Do any of us really know what it took to start Veterans Day? If we understood its meaning, would we treat it more reverently?

Veterans Day was created in the aftermath of WW I in an effort to commemorate the end of the war and remind the people of its consequences. Nov. 11 was chosen because that was the day the war ended.

Unfortunately, this day did nothing to stop the destructive power of WW II. President Eisenhower declared Nov. 11 to be a day to honor all service men and women past and present.

The true meaning of Veterans Day is expressed very simply by Portland resident and WWII veteran Roger Winham. “It’s a remembering time for those of us who were involved,” said Roger. “Remembering the fellows that died and the ones who didn’t make it back. You have to think about those things.”

Winham signed up for the Air Force when he was 17 and helped secure islands in the Pacific. He didn’t see any combat, but knows many who did. “I had a number of friends that lost their lives,” he said. “In the latter part of the war, I had a close friend in the Marine Corps. who lost his life.”

Veterans Day is not just for those who have fought in the past but also for those who are currently fighting. Many thousands of soldiers are working to build stability in Iraq and Afghanistan. It has been hard and confusing, but it has also been unique. “We’re fighting a whole different kind of war than we ever have fought before,” said Winham. “But we’ll be successful because we’ll learn, and then we’ll beat them.”

It is hard to keep the end goal in mind because of the casualties we hear about in the news every day, but if we remember what Veterans day is about and honor those who have fought selflessly to preserve the freedoms of others, they will never be forgotten.