11/11/2025
There is often confusion about the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day.
On Veterans Day, November 11, we honor all those who have served honorably in the military. Veterans Day is celebratory, a day to recognize our military Veterans.
On Memorial Day, the last Monday in May, we honor all those who gave their lives to our nation. Memorial Day is somber, a day to remember our Fallen Heroes.
For us at DWYERFIRE, the line between the two holidays is blurry.
Two years ago on Veterans Day, I searched through old photos as I watched Army beat Holy Cross in football on TV. We had many family members who had served — the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Mexican-American War, WWI and WWII — and I thought I’d post photos on Instagram for Veterans Day. A month earlier, the Israel-Hamas war had begun. Our oldest son, Steve, an Army aviator, had deployed to that region. Proud of the lineage of service in our family and proud of our deployed son, I flipped through the photos, searching for ones to post.
Then the phone rang.
And that Veterans Day, for us and for four other families, became Memorial Day.
On that Veterans Day, we learned that, while deployed over the Mediterranean Sea, Steve, Shane, Andy, Tanner, and Cade gave their lives.
Every Gold Star Child enrolled in DWYERFIRE has lost a military member parent. For them, every day is Memorial Day. But their Fallen Heroes were also Veterans. They were men and women who raised their right hand to defend the Constitution of the United States. They were brave, and they were selfless. Today, we honor them for their service. And we also honor the Veterans in their families. Many of our DWYERFIRE athletes have grandparents, parents, spouses, and siblings who have served. Today, we thank them not only for their military service, but also for the example of service and sacrifice they set for our Gold Star Children.
-Written by Gail Dwyer, Gold Star Mother and Veteran