Service, Citizenship, And Veterans Day

The quiet that fell on November 11, 1918 did more than end a war—it sparked a living promise we renew every time we show up for one another. We start with the origin of Armistice Day and trace how America reshaped it into Veterans Day, a commitment that honors every veteran’s service while challenging the rest of us to carry freedom forward through daily civic action.

I sit down with Representative Stacy Travers, a U.S. Army veteran and Arizona lawmaker, to unpack how the mission-first mindset translates from the field to the floor. Stacy shares how discipline, humility, and teamwork guide her approach to policy, and why results for constituents matter more than party labels. We explore the ripple effects of service organizations, the transformative power of the GI Bill, and how the integration of the armed forces helped accelerate civil rights—clear examples of how military service has shaped American democracy beyond the battlefield.

Together we dig into what freedom really means in practice: the right to vote, to learn, to work, to be safe, and to pursue happiness. Stacy reflects on seeing Germany before and after the wall fell, a reminder that political choices write themselves into daily life. We talk about listening across differences, keeping faith with a “seven generations” lens, and turning gratitude into action—whether that’s mentoring, volunteering, supporting veteran-led groups, or simply taking time to learn a veteran’s story.

If this conversation moves you, subscribe, share the episode with someone you care about, and leave a review. Then tell us: what’s one concrete way you’ll serve your community this week?

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to Civics in a Year, where we explore the

(00:02):
ideas, people, and moments thatshape American democracy.
I'm Liz Evans.
Today we pause to honor VeteransDay, a day set aside each year
to recognize the men and womenwho have served in the United
States Armed Forces.
It's a day of gratitude andreflection and civic awareness,
a reminder that the freedoms weenjoy depend on both sacrifice

(00:26):
and participation.
Veterans Day has deep roots inworld history and in the
evolution of America's own civicidentity.
It began with the end of WorldWar I, a conflict so devastating
at the time that it was calledthe war to end all wars.
On November 11, 1918, at the11th hour of the 11th day of the

(00:49):
11th month, the guns fellsilent.
The armistice between the Alliesand Germany went into effect,
and the world exhaled.
One year later, in 1919,President Woodrow Wilson
proclaimed November 11th asArmistice Day.
He described it as a day to befilled with solemn pride and the

(01:12):
heroism of those who died in thecountry's service and gratitude
for the victory that had broughtpeace.
At first, Armistice Day wasprimarily a day of remembrance
to honor those who fought anddied in World War I.
But as history unfolded, so didthe meaning of the day.

(01:32):
In the decades that followed,the United States entered new

conflicts (01:36):
World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, and
beyond.
By the early 1950s, millionsmore Americans had served.
And many citizens began to askwhether one day of remembrance
should honor all veterans, notjust those from World War I.

(01:57):
A Kansas shoe store owner namedAlvin King played a key role in
that change.
King was a World War II veteranwho believed Armistice Day
should honor every American whoserved, in peace or in war.
He organized local celebrationsand reached out to Kansas
Congressman Ed Reese, whointroduced a bill in Congress to

(02:19):
make it official.
In 1954, President Dwight D.
Eisenhower, himself a five-stargeneral who led Allied forces in
World War II, signed the billinto law.
Armistice Day was renamedVeterans Day, broadening its
scope to recognize all veterans,living and deceased, from every

(02:40):
branch of the service.
That change reflected somethingpowerful.
America's growing understandingthat military service in all of
its forms is central to thenation's civic story.
In the years that follow, therewere even some calendar changes.
In 1968, Congress passed theUniform Holiday Bill, moving

(03:05):
several federal holidays,including Veterans Day, to
create long weekends.
For a few years, Veterans Daywas observed in October, but
many Americans objected, feelingthat November 11th carries a
special meeting, the anniversaryof the armistice that ended
World War I.

(03:26):
So, in 1975, President GeraldFord signed a law restoring the
date to November 11th, where itremains today.
So, what does all of this meanbeyond dates and proclamations?
Veterans Day is not just a dayoff.
It's a day to think about therelationship between service and

(03:48):
citizenship.
In a constitutional democracy,military service is unique.
It represents a commitment todefend a system built on
individual liberty and civicresponsibility.
But the service did not end witha uniform.
Many veterans return home andcontinue to serve as teachers,

(04:08):
first responders, publicofficials, community volunteers.
Veterans have also shapedAmerican democracy in profound
ways.
The GI Bill, passed in 1944,helped millions of returning
World War II veterans attendcollege, buy homes, and start
businesses, transforming theAmerican middle class.

(04:32):
The integration of the armedforces in 1948 set a precedent
for the broader civil rightsmovement, showing that equality
and unity could strengthen, notweaken, the nation.
And throughout history, veteranshave been leaders in civic
reform, advocating for votingrights, health care, education,
and justice.

(04:54):
When we honor veterans, we arealso honoring a civic ideal.
The idea that service to others,whether it's in military or in
daily life, sustainsconstitutional democracy.
Because constitutional democracyisn't self-sustaining.
It depends on citizens who showup, who participate, and who

(05:17):
care.
That's why Veterans Day shouldinspire all of us to ask: how do
we serve?
Maybe it's volunteering,mentoring, or voting.
Maybe it's simply taking time tolisten, to understand the
experiences of those who'veserved and what they've given up
so we can live freely.

(05:38):
So today, let's mark VeteransDay.
And let's do more than justremember.
Let's engage.
Let's think of veteran, learntheir story, and reflect on what
their service means for ourshared civic life.
Let's carry that spirit forwardin our schools, our communities,

(05:58):
and in our daily actions.
To all of those who have servedand to their families, thank
you.
Thank you for your courage.
Thank you for your leadership,and thank you for your example.
You remind us that ourconstitutional democracy is not
a right we inherit, it's aresponsibility we uphold.

(06:22):
I'm Liz Evans, and this has beenCivics in a year.
Thank you for listening, andhappy Veterans Day.
Happy Veterans Day, everyone.
I am very excited to haveRepresentative Stacy Travers
with us today.
Representative Travers is aveteran of the U.S.
Army and a representative inArizona.

(06:44):
So, Representative Travers,thank you so much for being here
today.
You've served both in themilitary and in public office.
How has your experience inuniform shaped your approach to
your civic leadership today?

SPEAKER_01 (06:57):
I think it's helped inform how I legislate because
when I was in the military, youknow, if you're on a mission or
if you have a shared goal withyour platoon or your squad or
your company or whatever it maybe, you don't really sit and
take time to talk aboutpolitical ideologies or
religions or anything elsereally.

(07:19):
You're just trying to get themission accomplished.
And I've brought that into how Ilegislate for my constituents.
So while I may be a registeredDemocrat, that notwithstanding,
it doesn't mean that I'm notvery aware of all the people
that I represent and that we'reall working towards a common

(07:39):
goal, which is making livesbetter for our communities and
our families.
Sometimes it might not be thesame pathway, but that doesn't
mean that I don't pay attentionor don't take into account how
other constituents might feel.
As long as it doesn't compromisemy values, then I think that we

(08:00):
can all take this journeytogether.
And hopefully I'm doing a goodjob.
And if I'm not, then I getfired, and that's okay too.
But having had that experiencein the military with the
discipline and the structure andthe patriotism, the basically

(08:24):
having been in the militaryshapes everything that I am as a
legislator.
And so I'm very thankful forthat experience.

SPEAKER_00 (08:33):
So, what does Veterans Day then mean to you
personally when it comes aroundevery year?

SPEAKER_01 (08:40):
Well, I think the most important thing is the fact
that those who have served arerecognized.
We have lots of differentmilitary holidays, right?
We have Memorial Day for thosewho lost their lives in service.
We have those who, you know, andveteran for Veterans Day, for we
have those who served and whoare still serving.

(09:03):
It's really actually quiteamazing to see the number of
those who were in the militarywho are still in some form of
public service, whether it'srunning for office or the
incredible amount of supportthat has come from public
service that has created veteranservice organizations and

(09:23):
everything that they do in thecommunities.
And not just for veterans.
I mean, you get the VFW, you getAmerican Legion, you get Ambets,
you get Wounded Warriors.
Yes, they're helping members ofthe military, former members of
the military, but that echoeslike a pebble into the
community, right?
You throw a pebble into thewater, and then the ripple

(09:45):
effect means that everybody inthe community gets impacted by
this.
And so it's I'm always veryhumbled when I go to a Veterans
Day event or to a some kind ofa, you know, a dinner or some
kind of an event that thanksthose who are currently in the
military, those who have served,and those who have lost their

(10:08):
lives.
It's just a it's a very profoundhumbling that there's such a
goodness in people.
And that transcends politicalparties, believe it or not.
You know, people are people aregood and want to do good things.
And it just, again, this stemsfrom this stems from that micro
system, that mic, microcommunity that we're all a part

(10:30):
of.
You know, there's a small numberof us, and we know what it's
like to be in this sort of otherlittle society of military
families, whether you're aspouse or whether you're a
child, or whether you're a uhwhether you have actually
served, that very few people canunderstand.
And so it's nice to see thatit's recognized by folks who

(10:53):
aren't in the military, that youknow, you sign a contract, and
when you sign that contract, youunderstand that you are
potentially giving up your lifeand service for others to defend
freedom and to defend ourWestern values.
Um we see it, we see iteverywhere.
We see it in Chandler, we see itin N Tempe, we see it in
Phoenix, those are the threecities that I represent.

(11:16):
We also see it throughout all ofArizona.
There is a recognition, and Ijust only wish that we had more
resources and more money to domore for veterans here in the
state.
But Veterans Day is just a smallway to recognize the service of
those who have served in themilitary, and it's very um
honorable.

SPEAKER_00 (11:37):
What do you wish more Americans understood about
the connection between militaryservice and citizenship?

SPEAKER_01 (11:45):
That when we talk about why we joined the
military, right?
We always speak about it inbroad terms, and that's to
defend your freedom.
But I don't really think that wethink about it in smaller, in
smaller bits.

(12:06):
So what does that mean to havethat freedom, right?
And I was in Germany recently,and I had been the last time I
was there was before the wallfell down.
And we had a we had a EastGermany and a West Germany, and
the freedom that West Germanyhad was so incredibly different
to what we had in in EastGermany at the time.

(12:28):
And to be able to go back to seeit now after the wall came down
had such a profound impact on mefor a couple of different
reasons.
Number one, to understand theirhistory and to know that people
there in that country understoodthe impact of what it was to

(12:51):
actually have freedom.
And by that I mean what does,you know, what does freedom mean
for us?
It means the right to vote, tohold public office, to have
access to health care, to publiceducation, uh, to own land, to
be able to find a job, any jobthat you want is so profound

(13:21):
that I see what's happening inthe United States right now, and
sometimes I fear for us.
There's restrictions on who youcan love and who you want to be,
and what books you can read, andyou know, who who gets to walk
in bases and who and who is ableto control that and what is the

(13:43):
right way to do it.
And I I just think this isn'tthis isn't what I signed up for
when I joined the military.
So I, you know, I became apublic servant out of the
military so that I couldcontinue to represent my
constituency or the at least mydistrict of the people of

(14:05):
Arizona, so they could havethose freedoms and not just you
know freedom in a broad way.
It's so that they can they canbe their happiest and live their
best lives, right?
We we have in the in thepreamble the right to life,
liberty, and the pursuit ofhappiness.
And the only way that I couldmake sure that the generations

(14:28):
ahead of us, and I'm doing alittle bit of a word salad here,
so for the folks listening, Ithank you for your your
patience.
You know, there's a the thethere's a a Native American
concept of the things that youdo should be considered in terms

(14:49):
of how it's gonna impact theseven generations ahead of you.
And so everything that I try todo tries to bear in mind how my
kids are gonna be impacted, howtheir kids are gonna be
impacted, how their kids afterthem are gonna be impacted.
And to recognize that, you know,that it that is what freedom is.

(15:12):
That is that is why we fight,and that is why we go around the
world with you know with ourvalues, so that people can have
this right for their generationsto come.
And sometimes I I mean that it'sjust as simple as that.
I mean, I I I love having thisconversation with you, but it it

(15:34):
could have, you know, I couldhave explained it in I'm taking
20 minutes or 30 minutes toexplain what could have been in
five.
You know, it's like that'sthat's what it is.
That's what what citizenship is.
To be a good citizen is to beall working together towards a
common good for everybody.
And that is why I fought foryour freedom.

(15:58):
And so that's why I willcontinue to do that.
And even when I'm no longer inpublic service, I hope that I
will still be a value to thecommunity working towards that
greater good and allowing, youknow, people the the freedom to
be happy, to feel safe, to besecure, to feel part of a

(16:25):
society that cares about them.
And that the only way to do thatis to is to take yourself out of
it.
Then again, that's what youlearn in the military is that
you're all working towards thisgreater good, and you need to
put your personal opinions andyour personal feelings aside so
that you can so that you canaccomplish the mission.

(16:47):
And that's my mission.
That's my mission for my kids,that's my mission for my for my
friends' kids, for the the kidsthat I don't know, that I
haven't met, for people Ihaven't, and I will always
continue, I will always continueto do that.
Rather it's advocating for aschool that's going to be closed
at a school board meeting,rather, that's standing up on

(17:08):
the floor of the House ofRepresentatives so that women
can make their healthcarechoices, so that people have a
right to be safe.
I don't always get it right.
I'm very clunky with my languagebecause I don't write
pre-prepared speeches, as Ithink we might have heard on
today's podcast, because it hasto come from the heart.
That's I mean, then that's all Iknow how to be, right?

(17:30):
You know, when I joined themilitary, I was ready to give it
my all, regardless.
And here it's the same way.
I can't be somebody I'm not.
And you take me warts and all,but just know that I have a good
heart and I'm doing it foreverybody in the community.
And I have been very blessed tohave a great set of cities that
I represent that have a greatnumber of people there who are

(17:55):
good people.
And I'm again, I'm wardsalading.
I talk too much.
I say I'm not a politician, butI talk like one.
So grateful to be living in theUnited States.
It's the best country in theworld.
We have so much more potential.
I hope, I hope everybody canrecognize that.

(18:17):
And yeah, and thank you foreverything that you're doing as
well.
You know, the fact that you arealso connected to community and
making sure that you representand give a voice to everybody in
this space.
I think not everybody's gonnaagree with what I have to say.
And that's okay.

(18:38):
I mean, we're we want differentvoices, we want descending
voices because the only way thatwe can get smarter is if we
listen to others.
And again, my military serviceand the fact that there are
those out there who havesacrificed for everything that
I've just said is is important.

(18:58):
It continues who we are as asociety and what the values that
we have.
And I'm just grateful that thoseare out there recognizing it.
And I'm so thankful for VeteransDay.
And it's never, it's alwaysabout the people that have just
been doing the amazing work, notjust for their service, but out
in community too.

SPEAKER_00 (19:19):
So yes.
Representative Travers, thankyou for your service in
military.
Thank you for your service herein the state of Arizona.
It is, you know, where youtalked about like, oh, I didn't
have anything prepared, and Inobody is ever going to see our
faces on this because it's anaudio podcast.
But I definitely started to getteary because when you talk

(19:40):
about freedom and you talk aboutthe things people do to
acknowledge our freedom.
But also, like you said, whenyou join the military, you have
a mission.
You're not worried about if theperson next to you votes a
certain way.
You're worried about the overallmission.
And I think that that's what itmeans to be an American, right?
The founders didn't say ourcountry was perfect.

(20:02):
They said more perfect.
And that's what we're alwaysstriving for.
And that's why we love ourcountry and we do the things
that we do because we want tocontinue striving for that.
So thank so much.
And to everybody listening,happy Veterans Day.