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Veterans Day is a U.S. legal holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars. Great Britain, France, Australia and Canada also commemorate the veterans of World War I and II on or near November 11th: Canada has Remembrance Day, while Britain has Remembrance Sunday (the second Sunday of November). In Europe, Great Britain and many other countries it is common to observe two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. every November 11.
No matter where we are, it is important not to forget the price of freedom and sacrifices it took.
Dr. Joseph Kazickas with his wife Alexandra and two year old Jurate experienced the horrors of World War II and kindness of the soldiers while escaping bombing of Breslau, Germany in February of 1945. From Alexandra Kazickas diary:
"Panic washed over me; I looked around, trying to spot Juozas. I couldn't see him anywhere in the mass of people, shouting and streaming towards the train. It came to a full stop and the door of one car opened not far from me. I could see that the car was filled with soldiers, most of them injured, their heads and arms wrapped in bandages. Several soldiers were looking out a window at the crowd right in front of me. Unexpectedly one of them called out to me, "Give me the girl. Climb in the window here, over to us!" I have no idea why I listened to him, but that instinctive reaction probably saved our lives. Mechanically I lifted Jurate up to him. The soldier pulled my little girl into their car; she was now completely quiet. For a moment, I was paralyzed by fear - what would happen if the train starts to move? But I froze for no longer than a blink of an eye. I saw outstretched arms of another soldier. I grabbed hold of him with one hand and the ledge of the window with my other hand. I swung myself over the ledge. Several other soldiers grabbed me and in a flash pulled me in."
Years later Jurate made it to Vietnam as a journalist covering the Vietnam War.
“When I think of Vietnam, I think of the soldiers’ faces. Unguarded, innocent, smiling. They were all so young, unprepared for the filth and degradation of war. […]Some felt it was their duty to come to Vietnam. Some never stopped questioning why they were there. […]
There was more to war than killing and death. The way men bonded in war fascinated me. The comradeship, the sharing of these intense moments under fire, was unlike any other human experience.," wrote Jurate in a piece "These Hills Called Khe Sanh" in "War Torn" - a book by nine women reporters covering the Vietnam War.
On Veterans Day, let's reflect upon the sacrifice and honor of those who have served and still continue serving their country.