VETERAN of the MONTH

Memorial Day—which began as Decoration Day in 1868 when the graves of Civil War soldiers were adorned with flowers—was made an official U.S. holiday in 1971. Every year on the last Monday in May, we honor those who’ve died serving our country with flags and parades and other remembrances. Go to Parade.com/memorial to read about the holiday’s history.

This year, we also want to honor, thank and get to know the more than 1.3 million brave men and women who currently serve in the military. More than half of them are married. About 16 percent of them are female. They average 28.5 years old. Not every military job involves the use of a weapon. There are translators, chaplains and medics, to name just a few. And most don’t see themselves as heroes—the real heroes are the ones who never left the battlefield, they say.

Here are a few insights into military life.

“America’s daughters are just as capable of defending liberty as her sons.” —Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D, Ill.), lieutenant colonel (retired), Illinois Army National Guard “Asking a soldier if they’ve killed someone is not something you should drop into casual conversation.” —Spc. Tim Moore, California Army National Guard “We miss lots of birthdays. I’ve missed my wife’s four years in a row.” —Chief Warrant Officer 3 Johvan Scheurer, Active Duty Army, stationed in South Korea “I had to adjust to life after the war— where violence got me through every day. But now I can name all of my daughter’s My Little Pony characters.” —Staff Sgt. Tony Holland, U.S. Army Reserve, Makakilo City, Hawaii “Before I joined the military, I had three brothers. Now I have a whole company.” —Chief Warrant Officer 2 Emily Warren, Tennessee Army National Guard