VFW Voice of Democracy 2017-2018

Jason Eric A. Ancheta

Texas

Studying My Country’s Destiny

Sitting in a classroom, one can hardly comprehend the gravity of history’s impacts. For high school students at my
age, the history that we study is far and detached from any academic assessment we panic about. For the most part,
my generation has the luxury of reading these narratives from a third person point of view. Too often, society
forgets that this history is the memorial of first person sacrifices made to defend our country. By neglecting
America’s history, my country is ignoring its future. To initiate the change needed to stop this blindness, I direct my
generation to the words of America’s Irish Revolutionary ally, Edmund Burke. His dogma is the most powerful
challenge of historical ignorance when he reminds us, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.”

Growing up, I had always appreciated the rich history present throughout my state and across the United States. I
have always been the student who has loved watching History Channel documentaries, researching American
conflicts, and visiting museums in awe of the artifacts that I had studied about in my free time. For the longest
while, these studies were simply interesting stories for me. At that time, I could tell you anything and everything
about the World Wars and which presidents had impacted U.S. policy the most. It was fun. Then, everything
changed at the end of my middle school career.

Visiting Arlington, Virginia, I remember feeling so excited that I could hardly contain myself. I could finally visit
all the amazing buildings that I had idolized since I had read my first history book! All of the excitement dissipated
as I stood before my first monument. As I stood before the entrance to the Arlington Cemetery, my giddiness
slowly evolved into reverence. Passing those tombstones, I gradually realized that my academic pursuits were not
simply about great conflicts that preserved my country’s democracy. Instead, my World War fascination advanced
past any childish excitement and changed slowly into a respect for these tombstones. At the head of this memorial
was the catalyst for my maturity. The final stop on my tour was the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where I read the
lines that changed my life: “​Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.”

At that moment, my childhood obsession with American history bloomed into something much more sacred.
Reading this inscription, I learned how to grow up and make my mastery of history matter. My stories had
sacrificed lives to save my country’s future. By giving their lives, these men had preserved my future and its
freedom. As a result of this realization, the Unknown Soldier’s inscription gave my studies a new purpose.

Although that tomb honored a soldier only known to my God, the American history was his legacy. In turn, his
legacy was my future. Since he had played his part to save my freedom, I could now play my part to raise
awareness for his sacrifice. My history classes could hardly contain my passion from that point forward.

While others doze off in class, I choose to fight the lullaby just like those veterans had fought their nightmares. I
choose to persevere in seeing the sacrifices made in the conflicts that have passed. In the hopes that my country
does everything possible to protect others from experiencing the horrors of conflict, I listen so that one day I can
make a difference. By studying my country’s history, I am preparing for America’s destiny. History will not be
repeated. Not on my watch. Disregard your academic assessments, this is my country’s future we are talking about.