Tuesday, November 11, 2014 is Veteran's Day, a very special U.S. holiday that honors the brave men and women who have served in the Armed Forces.
In honor of these incredible people who we owe our lives (and our freedom) to, we've unearthed a few of our favorite and most heartwarming, compelling stories about veterans.
The holiday was first proclaimed in 1919 by President Woodrow Wilson, and at the time it was known as Armistice Day.
"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," said President Wilson.
Please SHARE these touching stories in honor of Veteran's Day this year!
1. The 89-year-old veteran who finally learned to read.
Ed Bray stormed the beach at Normandy during World War II, earning two purple hearts. And yet, the toughest thing the 89-year-old said he had to face in his life was his illiteracy. For decades, Bray went to extraordinary efforts to keep his inability to read or write a secret. While on the job at an Air Force base, he had a coworker help him with documents.
At home, his wife did the same for 62 years until her death in 2009. Finally, the determination to shed the shame and learn how to read broke through. “I want to read one book,” he said. “I don’t care if it’s about Mickey Mouse. I want to read one book before I die.”
In early 2013, Bray found Professor Tobi Thompson at Oklahoma’s Northeastern University.
Her patient and dedicated attitude helped Bray accomplish what he never thought possible. In February the veteran read his first book, a grade-school biography of George Washington. “It just makes me feel good,” Bray said. He’s since gone on to read three books, and has no plan to stop now.
2. Great-grandmothers jumping for veterans.
Marjorie Bryan and Marianna Sherman work with their local Ohio chapter of the Blue Star Mothers of America — an organization made up of mothers whose kids have served in the military — as well as its veterans' food pantry. And this pair of octogenarians were committed to an act so brave it would rival those accomplished by the young men and women they supported.
To help raise money for the vets' groups, the women decided to parachute out of a plane. One clear June day in 2012, the two joined a team of six as well as retired Army Ranger paratroopers who would be guiding the women in their descent. With more than 200 people looking on, the great-grandmothers jumped in tandem, making it safely to the ground. Bryan, for one, was jubilant upon landing, and even said she'd consider doing it again!
3. An unlikely friendship.
They were quite the pair — she, a beautiful young girl with a bright, white smile; he, a homeless veteran with a scraggly beard and weathered face. Their friendship started out slow. The girl — who remains unidentified — began saying “hi” to Tony as she traveled to and from her workplace.
Soon enough they were having small conversations and then regular talks and periodic lunches. “Tony tells me about his war stories, loved ones, and who should win the Super Bowl,” she wrotein a Dec. 5, 2012, post on Reddit. “I tell Tony about my problems, loved ones, and how I don’t really care who should win the Super Bowl.”
From an outsider’s point of view, it seemed the young girl was offering the old, lonely man an ear. But the friendship was reciprocal. Recently, the girl went through a difficult period emotionally, and Tony reportedly helped her navigate those tough personal choices.
One day she was walking around feeling sorry for herself when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to find Tony giving her a concerned look. He had something for her, he said. “From his army jacket, he pulls out a watch head. Tony takes my hand and gently places the broken antique in my palm.”
He went on to say: “I don’t have much but I wanted you to know that you have done what many others would not simply by being my friend.” The girl said she realized that when you extend yourself to those in need: “You get back not only what you gave, but infinitely more,” she wrote.
Please SHARE these wonderful stories and support our veterans!
These stories are based on posts found on Reddit. Reddit is a user-generated social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website where registered members submit content to the site and can up- or down-vote the content. The accuracy and authenticity of each story cannot be confirmed by our staff.
