I realize that my children are young, but I decided we needed to learn about his grandparents and great-grandparents who served in the armed forces today. Understanding the service given by veterans helps us understand the freedom we truly enjoy came at a cost.

BrainPop has a movie about the armed forces so we started with that. Then I reviewed with my children the difference between the army, navy, and air force.

After that, we talked about these important people from his family history. Great Grandpa Orvil was stationed in Alaska during WWII. His camp was attacked by Japanese bombers, and there were 7 casualties. He volunteered to head up the team that sought for the downed Japanese plane.

Great Grandpa Bill was aboard a ship in the South Pacific for the last two years of World War II. He transported the dead bodies of American service men. He never spoke of his time in the South Pacific.

My father and father-in-law also served our country in the army during the Vietnam War. Although my son said this morning that hearing the stories was “boring,” I know some day he’ll better appreciate all these great people have done for our country.

How do you celebrate Veteran’s Day with your kids or students?

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