Veterans Day Reflections

Today is Veterans Day, an annual observance honoring military veterans of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of three commemorations observed in the U.S., the other two being Memorial Day, which specifically honors those who have died in military service, and Armed Forces Day, which honors those currently serving in the U.S. military.

Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day, commemorating the end of major hostilities during World War I. The Allied powers signed a ceasefire agreement with Germany at Compiègne, France, at 11:00 a.m. on November 11, 1918, bringing World War I to a close.1

President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day the following year, in November 1919, with these words:

“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”2

In 1954, after the Korean war, the U.S. Congress amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting in its place the word “Veterans.” With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American Veterans of all wars.3

To me, this day is a time of reflection. Not only do I think about my own war experiences, but I think about all the service members who have served in major wars since the American Revolutionary War. I think about the sacrifices of men and women during these times—something that is hard to describe unless you’ve lived through it. Words from veterans will never fully capture the depth of their sentiments because recalling those times affects them deeply.

With that in mind, I’m going to share the key phases I went through during each of my four deployments. None of these involve details about training or combat operations but rather the psychological aspects of war at the individual level. These are my personal perspectives, and I’m sure some veterans may describe their experiences differently.

The Initial Phase occurs when a service member knows they are going to war. In my case, my mind was flooded with thoughts about how my wife would manage the separation and the things I needed to organize—my will, power of attorney, and other details. As our family grew and more deployments came, my concerns included the wellbeing of both my wife and son, wondering if I had prepared everything in case I didn’t return. I also thought about the mission, my Soldiers, and their families.

The Deployment Phase begins when we are ready to depart for the war zone. Saying goodbye to family and the sadness that fills your heart in those first hours after leaving are indescribable. As you board the plane with your Soldiers, you think about what might happen if you don’t make it—whether your family will be okay. You look at the faces of your Soldiers and silently pray for each of them to return safely and reunite with their families. You wonder how you would cope with the loss of any of them, and how you would inform their families. 

Once you arrive in the war zone, you shift your mindset to focus on the mission and the wellbeing of the Soldiers as they carry out 24-hour operations every day for a year, or sometimes longer. Your mind becomes consumed with the missions, the Soldiers, their families, and your own family. The stress is difficult to describe, and all the leadership training you’ve received is put to the test. 

There are days when enemy attacks are relentless, and it feels as though no space is safe—not in your vehicle on a convoy, not while sleeping, and not even while taking a shower. This period of deployment is mentally and physically demanding, and veterans carry these scars—both visible and invisible—for a long time.

The Redeployment Phase begins with the arrival of replacements, and the need to teach them everything you’ve learned in about two weeks. You hope for their safety and success. 

When you finally board the plane home, you look at your Soldiers—some happy to be going home, others, like me, still worried, knowing that we still need to take off, avoid enemy fire, and reach safe airspace. Then, as you feel the excitement of reuniting with family, thoughts about reintegration start to surface. After the separation, you wonder how to reconnect with your family. You worry about the changes at home and how to readjust to shared responsibilities. 

The first weeks and months are tough. You’re on edge, haunted by nightmares, and hyper-alert even though you know you’re safe. For some veterans, these struggles last for months, years, or even a lifetime. Tragically, for some, the experiences become too difficult to bear, leading them to seek escape from the darkness through drugs and alcohol, or even by taking their own lives.

When I reflect on these three phases, I remember that World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans—those who are still alive—often had it worse. When I read about those wars, I sometimes imagine myself in their place, which gives me chills and deepens my respect for their sacrifices and the quiet suffering they carry.

To those veterans and the special operations service members serving around the world, often in the harshest conditions, I want to say thank you for your service. I am able to express my opinion and write this post because of the sacrifices you have made, and continue to make, for this country and for free democracies around the world.

  1. https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/november-11/ ↩︎
  2. https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/november-11/ ↩︎
  3. https://department.va.gov/veterans-day/history-of-veterans-day/ ↩︎

54 thoughts on “Veterans Day Reflections”

  1. Meaningful and profound words on the mental and emotional aspects of military war missions, Edward. The pressure, the fears, the duty, the mission, the soldiers, etc. are far too harsh for a human being. I humbly bow to all who went to serve in these scenarios. Here I include my father, who was 2 years deployed overseas, in Mozambique, at that time a Portuguese colony. The mental and emotional scars of the jungle battlefield last until these days. Honoring all veterans is a civilian duty—an easy mission compared to all they went through. Lots of light and blessings to you and all veterans, wherever they are!

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    1. Thank you so much, Susana, for your comments and kind words. It must have been difficult to serve two years under those conditions, and it reminds me of the Ukrainian soldiers who have been on the battlefield for that long. Those soldiers will have a long road to recovery from their physical and emotional trauma after the war is over. Blessings to you and your family, my friend.

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  3. Dear Edward, thank you for this open honest review of your psychological experiences of armed service for your country. I was unable to serve in the armed services here in the UK due my poor eyes but I have the highest regard for ALL those who do, including those from the USA. 🙏🙏🙏

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  4. I appreciate how you’ve taken the time to present the phases and substantial psychological and physical demands of each stage/phase, Edward. Throughout, this is clear, just as you said: …”veterans carry these scars—both visible and invisible—for a long time”. Service and sacrifice. Never more important to recognize and highlight. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 💕

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    1. You’re very welcome, my friend. You’re in a good position to understand what’s going on in our heads due to your background and experience. I’m sure that law enforcement and EMT personnel go through similar stages. It’s very difficult for most to discuss their experiences.

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      1. I love that you acknowledge all of that from your firsthand experience but also see the challenges for others who serve – like law enforcement and EMT’s, just as you said. Appreciate you, Edward! Sometimes being seen is worth so much more than people realize. 💕

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  5. Hi Edward, thank you for this post. I read a lot of war books because I am interested and intrigued by the psychology of war and how people deal with their experiences at the time and afterwards. Your post is insightful. A wonderful post to celebrate Veterans Day.

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  6. Edward Thank you for your service and sharing your thoughts and feelings. My father was in the army and as a kid I asked him what is was like he didn’t respond. To think that so many have suffered doing what they think is right at whatever the cost. ❤️ True Valor. Thank you again and all the soldiers you served with they must of thanked you as well.

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    1. You’re very welcome. It’s extremely hard sometimes to express our experiences in detail because we’re afraid of reliving those moments, especially if they were difficult ones. Our default mechanism is to avoid speaking about it or to be very generic when we can’t. I really appreciate your comments. Thank you.

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  9. Thank you for sharing your personal reflections. This honest look into the emotional and mental journey of deployment phases is deeply moving. It gives civilians like me a better understanding of the sacrifices veterans make, not just physically but psychologically as well. Respect and gratitude to you and all who have served.🙇🙏🌷

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  10. Thank you for your admirable service, Edward and for sharing your first-hand experience of the phases experienced when deployed. Insightful for those of us who have never served or been in an active war zone. Nothing would ever compare to being there, however, I appreciate you educating us and offering more context. 🙏🏻 Hope you enjoyed your day.

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  12. Wow, intense and so much appreciated hearing what you went through, Edward. i can’t imagine. Thank you so much for your service and I”m so glad you made it home and I’m so glad you made it out alive but lots to adjust to and cope with for sure. I’m grateful for your words, shedding light on the reality. Blessings always you are so deserving of🌹🌹🌹

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  15. This was such a great and amazing inside look into the life of a veteran, which we’ll never know the true struggle ourselves as civilians. So many close friends and family members and loved ones of mine have served and it truly is a different world. 🙏
    Thank you for your service, Edward. It cannot be said enough, one day is never enough to honor the sacrifice. I wish you peace, happiness, and know that your service is highly appreciated 🫶 as many coffees as you want can’t make up for that, but hey, we’ll try. ☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️ thank you 😊

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    1. Thank you so much, Laura, for your kind words and for the coffees! We also need to work on the idea of an IV coffee bag—we’ll make a killing with that invention. ☕️+ IV bag (no emoji for that) = 💰💰💰😂

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      1. I’ll get right on it!! IV coffee bag ☕️ ☕️ side business!! Haha 💰 💰 thanks for the idea Edward as always 🙏 we better patent that before someone rips it off lol 😆

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  16. Thank you for sharing Edward 🙏 That was deep and insightful for civilians like me. Knowing this, it’s so sad to see many veterans treated badly or not receiving the help they need, when they finally come back home. Sometimes, another terrible (invisible) war wages inside of us.

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    1. You’re welcome, Chris. It’s absolutely devastating when veterans are not receiving the support they need, especially from countries that have the resources. I can only imagine the pain and suffering of veterans in countries where this is not even a priority. Thank you for your comments, my friend.

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  17. In the UK, Canada, and other Commonwealth countries it’s called Remembrance Day, and is honoured with the same sense of gratitude and remembrance. Today, in our smallish town, hundreds of all ages came out in the cold rain to honor those serving now and those who’ve served in the past. It’s important that these occasions continue to be given the recognition they deserve. Thank you for your service, Edward.

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      1. Actually, Remembrance Day is another version of Veterans Day. It started out as Armistice Day and changed its name at the same time the U.S. changed it to Veterans Day, I think after WWII. We honor everyone who has ever served, or is serving, since WWI. We happen to live very close to Canada’s second largest military base, Base Gagetown, and take Remembrance Day very seriously. Today is a public holiday in our province so that everyone can attend the march of soldiers and veterans (and scouts) and the public ceremonies.

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        1. Absolutely! I was reading about that and how it’s celebrated in so many countries, including Belgium, India, and others touched by that war, and how it continues to commemorate veterans of all wars after that. It’s good to remember, and I just read your post, I think that we are not very good at learning our lessons.

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  20. Thank you for sharing your emotional reactions to these steps, Edward. I have several family members who served in wars, but they don’t speak very much of their experiences. I think it remains difficult for them. You’ve helped me understand their feelings.

    I’ve often thought of my grandfather who fought in Europe during WWI and was injured in France. I know those soldiers were ill-equipped for the weather and battle.

    Thank you for serving, my friend.

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    1. You’re very welcome, Mary, and thank you for your kind words. It’s very hard for veterans to speak about their experiences. Even the few details I highlighted are difficult to share, but I think it’s good to write something about it for those veterans from the major wars (WWII, Korea, and Vietnam), who cannot fully express their sentiments, so we can at least begin to understand why they choose to stay silent.

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