November 11, 1918, or Armistice Day, marked the end of the First World War and was celebrated across the globe. However, while World War One was over for France, England, America, and other countries, conflict raged on in Greece and would soon grow into an all-out war. Eventually, in 1919, what became the Greco-Turkish War claimed the lives of 407,000 American soldiers.
In 1947, a World War Two veteran from Birmingham, Alabama organized “National Veterans Day”, a celebration including parades, and other festivities honoring the veterans of all wars. Seven years later, in 1954, the name became official, Armistice Day became “Veterans Day” in America, celebrating and highlighting the hard work and dedication of the over 18 million US veterans.
Around 9000 of the estimated 18,592,457 military veterans in the United States live in or have connections to Rockland County.
So how do these Veterans view the National Holiday? For Lieutenant Commander Chris T. Johnson, a former Naval Special Order Operations Officer/Deep Sea Diver and Salvor with strong ties to Nyack, Veterans Day means much more than just enjoying free meals. Lieutenant Commander Johnson finds the celebrations very enjoyable and even revealed that he celebrates by reaching out to his “old shipmates”, as he likes to call them. He and his fellow Navy Veterans take time during the holiday to reminisce their old sea stories.
When it comes down to how the work he did during his naval service affected his outlook on life, he says “It actually makes me feel fortunate and appreciative that I had an adventurous military life serving the USA prior to entering the private sector and Not For Profit sector.” Lieutenant Commander Johnson held many major responsibilities during his time in the Navy. When asked to describe these responsibilities, he responded, “I was a naval officer so managing a department of navy personnel onboard ships or at a mobile shore command. Also, driving the ship and running the Engineering plant on watch.” Lieutenant Commander Johnson continued, “I was also a U.S. Navy Deep Sea Diver and salvage Officer, so Deep Sea Diving and Salvage was also a responsibility."
Former Captain Sandra Kozden, an eighth-grade social studies teacher at Nyack Middle School also enjoys the holiday, referring to it as a day of both commemoration and reflection for everyone who has served the US armed forces. She also mentioned that she was given the opportunity to participate in a Veterans Day Parade in NYC. According to Captain Sandra Kozden, “It was such a humbling experience to meet so many vets who fought in the major wars and conflicts, from WWII to Afghanistan.” She confirmed that her identity as a veteran does in fact impact her teaching style. She teaches and lives her life with the intent to stay true to her Army adage: Be all you can be.
Captain Kozden also confirmed that she “had the benefit of applying skills that are instilled by the military to [her] teaching practice.” Captain Kozden expressed her vast pride, confidence, and hopefulness towards all branches of the US military, the soldiers serving those branches, and veterans who served our military in the past. She ended the interview by reminding us that Veterans Day should be a reminder that no matter at what level you are able to serve, whether it be our school, our community, or our nation as a whole, you are making changes. No matter how small those changes may be, they are always important.