In 1938, the 11th of November was declared a legal holiday, a day dedicated to world peace and originally called Armistice Day. But that was when World War I was thought to be the war to end all wars. However, after World War II and Korea in 1954, November 11th was changed to veterans day to honor all American veterans of all wars. On campus, there are several veterans, including English teacher David Volkmar. 

“I was in the marine core for just over under 20 years,” Marine Corp veteran Volkmar said. “In terms of why I enlisted in all honestly at that particular point in my life, it was the best of what I considered to be few options I had available to me.”

Serving in a variety of roles, Volkmar spent time in the Middle East during the Gulf War. 

“We don’t look at the number of missions necessarily, probably deployments, I was deployed during the first Gulf War as a machine gunner,” Volkmar said. “We initially guarded the flight line of the Shakey’s Air Base (​​Shaikh Isa Air Base) on the island of Bahrain, and then later controlled access at the general’s compound at Agibal Naval Airport. And I served as a personal bodyguard for the Brigadier General who was in charge of the attack cobras the Marine Corps helicopters in Iraq up on the borders, and so I actually served as a member of his personal security team through the tail end of the air war and through the ground war, we flew several missions into Iraq.” 

Having served for nearly two decades in the Marines, Veteran’s Day is important to Volkmar. 

“I think Veteran’s Day is very important,” Volkmar said. “I spent as much time in the military as I did and coming from a military background where my father served my brother was a Green Beret in the Army. My adopted father served in Korea and my biological father did two tours in Vietnam. So remembering people who’ve served our country is very important.”