Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 5424 YOUNG MARINES ESPRIT ONLINE By YM/SgtMaj Elijah Rico Tarrant County (TX) November 11th. Do you recognize the date? Veter- ans Day is an extraordinary day to observe as a Young Marine. Thousands of Young Marines from across the nation are active on this day, whether it be a Veterans Day parade, talk- ing to retired veterans, or even the simplest of things such as displaying Ameri- can flags around town. No matter the size of the action, the intent is to remember those who served our country. This Veterans Day, I had the privilege of attending The Daughters of World War II 2016 luncheon. Along with two other Young Marines (YM/ GySgt Tristen Rico and YM/ SSgt Leylia Rico), were represented the Young Marines as guests of this distinguished luncheon. Upon entering the luncheon, we saw many veterans in the room. Every branch represented, we thanked every veteran for their service to our country. We would hear their stories from “back in the day” and we would receive their words of wisdom. We learned how to continue our services after the Young Marines and what we could do for our country. One gentle- man even gave us Iwo Jima pins as a token of his thanks. Even before the ceremony and the lunch began, I was already motivated. Because of such incredible stories and guidance, I feel like I can accomplish almost anything I want. When the ceremony started, four older gentleman presented colors. In that moment I felt proud, in that moment I felt honored to stand before hun- dreds of veterans honoring our nation. Once the ceremony began, awards were given to countless veterans who served our coun- try with honor, as well as distin- guished guests and members of the Daughters of World War II and a Holocaust survivor.It was fascinating being able to hear more stories from the stage, as well as the history of our presidents in that wartime-era. I ac- tually learned a lot of information I didn’t know before about the war and figures who played an important role in the war. After the lunch and the ceremony, the music of the 1940’s played in the background as we began to reconnect with our host, Ms. Bonnie Arnold Haynes. We thanked her for letting us attend such a wonderful event. She was very happy to see us there in representing the Young Marines. Afterwards I thanked the speakers who spoke including the gentleman who survived the Holocaust. I never would have imagined in my Young Marines career that would I be in the presence of legends, heroes, and fellow Americans who fought for some- thing worth more than themselves. I will always remember every detail of that event. I will never forget Veterans Day 2016, celebrated with those who fought for all of us. In Texas: A Day for Remembering American Warriors Tarrant County Young Marines: Honoring World War II Veterans. By YM/ PFC Michael Manley Atlantic Coast (FL) Veterans Day is a national holiday to honor our veterans (someone who served in our military). Veterans Day was orig- inally called Armistice Day, which was created to celebrate the ending of World War I on November 11, 1918. Fighting stopped at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11th as Armistice Day to remind Americans of all of the tragedies of war but it did not become a federal holiday until 1938. In 1954, Congress changed the name of Armistice Day to Veter- ans Day to honor all of the Unit- ed States veterans who have served our country. On Veterans Day, there are many parades and ceremonies honoring our veterans. The President of the United States places a special wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Many people fly the United States flag to show patriotism and sup- port for our military. Veterans Day is special to me; I am so thankful to all of the men and women who serve in our military. They deserve our respect. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for them to leave their families behind in order to fight for my freedom. They are true heroes, but they don’t even think of themselves like that. They don’t do it to become rich or famous. They do it because they love our country so much. They sacrifice everything for us- their families, their homes, some- times even their lives. They risk their lives to make our lives better, keep us safe and protect our way of life. It is because of these men and women that we have the right to freedom of speech, freedom to vote, or freedom to protest. In truth, freedom isn’t free.It cost many men and women their lives to secure those freedoms.Veterans Day is a special time to honor all of the brave people who have given us those freedoms. I will always honor and thank our veterans not just on Vet- erans Day, but every day. Veterans Day: A Time for Remembering Their Sacrifices