From Mr. Ryan:
Each year on Veterans’ Day, my family visits a veterans’ monument in our Brooklyn neighborhood. There is always a small military band and a few speeches from local politicians. Sadly, this year such events have largely been cancelled due to the pandemic. We might still take a walk and read the words and the names of the men on the monument. Even without the fanfare, I feel it’s important to spend some part of the day honoring the men and women who served, and are serving our country. These courageous people, void of political entanglements , have an enduring commitment to ALL citizens. To them I am forever grateful. Below are some virtual resources for celebrating our national heroes.
Video explaining the holiday: middle to high school
The Veterans History Project oral history archive. Use the search feature to look for digitized veteran profiles, or browse the collections below:
Courage, Patriotism, and Community
African Americans at War: Fighting Two Battles
Jewish Veterans of World War II
Willing to Serve: American Indians
Healing with Honor: Medical Personnel
LGBT Veterans‘ Medal of Honor Recipients
National Monuments – state by state. A good resource from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.