“This is a day to thank our fathers that we didn’t know were veterans in some cases, our grandfathers, our grandmothers, our mothers, our sisters, our brothers,” he said. “I don’t know how you would say thank you but maybe that’s just it. Thank you.”

MSU thanks veterans in a number of ways. One way is through the annual Veterans Day breakfast hosted by the MSU Student Veterans of America and the MSU Student Veterans Resource Center.

There were approximately 153 registered guests for the event, veteran resource representative Sarah Mellon said. Veterans, students, faculty and others all come to the event to help celebrate the men and women who have served the U.S. Hernandez said, the day has a different feeling for different people.

“For the survivors, for people that are here, it’s somewhat guilty in some respects because they have friends that didn’t make it,” Hernandez said. “For others it’s a day to pay respect to the ones that didn’t make it.”

Hernandez, who served in the U.S. Army in Central America, South America and other places, said that one thing the event lacked was a fallen soldier table. Some call it the table for the fallen or missing, he said, but regardless of what it’s called, all branches of the military use it.

A fallen soldier table is small and usually out of the way. It will have white table cloth on it for purity, Hernandez said. A plate is set on the table with lemon and salt on it. The lemon represents the bitterness of the missing soldier while the salt represents the tears of the family of the lost. A chair set at the table is tilted forward, for there’s no one to sit in it. A wine glass is set upside down, for the missing person is not there to toast with it, Hernandez said.

Although there are different ways to set up a fallen soldier table, all the elements are symbolic for missing or fallen military brothers and sisters, Hernandez said.

Hernandez said it is important to honor veterans and the sacrifices they make for their country. He said when someone sees a flag flying, it can be emotional in itself. However, when that flag is draped over a coffin, it symbolizes the last respect and hug the country gives to that soldier.

“It’s truly that time where you realize that life is very short and we have men and women that have given their lives for our country and they get that last hug from our flag and they don’t feel it,” he said. “It’s you and I, the living, that actually get to feel it for them.”

Hernandez said that soldiers are like sheep dog who protect their herds from threats. Veterans protect their countries from threats, whether or not they love it or hate it.

“I may not agree with you, you may not agree with me, but I will defend you and every veteran in here will defend you because that’s what we do,” Hernandez said. “We defend the constitution of the United States from threats both foreign and domestic. And we put the bad, the danger, everything that could hurt us, in front of us because the people we love are behind us. Because if we don’t do it who’s going to do it?”

A couple guest speakers spoke on the contributions of veterans to the U.S., one of which was MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon.

Simon said this is an important time to recognize individuals and contributions the military makes for our freedom. We as U.S. citizens can celebrate our gold status of freedom, but can’t take it for granted. The Veterans Day breakfast was a way to formally thank the veterans who make the world a better place, she said.

The keynote speaker for the day was veteran David Denhardt, who first enlisted in 1991 after graduating high school. He said he wanted to join the military so he could help people.

“I was proud to wake up every day, I was proud to put on the uniform, I was proud to get out there and do everything I could do,” he said.

Denhardt’s active military service came to an end when he suffered head injuries after a rocket hit his base. Denhardt was soon discharged for his medical issues, and he struggled to figure out how he could still help people, he said.

After being invited to speak at an event, Denhardt realized that by spreading a message of hope he could still help other veterans. He said he couldn’t save everybody, but every time he shares his message there’s the potential to make a difference.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, roughly 22 veterans commit suicide everyday. Denhardt said this is due to the expectation for veterans to ‘suck it up’ when they’re struggling with issues. However, they can only ‘suck it up’ so much, he said.

Denhardt encouraged veterans to get involved, as this makes it easier for them to avoid depression and drug abuse.

Interdisciplinary studies and public policy sophomore Xue Lin Wang said that she felt emotional listening to Denhardt speak.

Although she is not a veteran and is not from a veteran family, Wang said Denhardt’s speech was close to the heart and showed just how serious and important veterans are to the U.S.

Wang is a member of Spartans Rebuilding Michigan, a student organization that connects students willing to volunteer with nonprofit organizations, according to its website.

Wang and some other members of the organization volunteered at the Veterans Day breakfast. The members worked the registration table and mingled with veterans and other guests she said.

Working the event, Wang said she could see first hand the pride that America was built on and the pride the American people have in their veterans and everything they have accomplished so far.