This year, I was given the opportunity to attend California Girls State, sponsored by American Legion Auxiliary Unit #105. To be fully transparent, I was not familiar with the American Legion before my school counselor circulated the Girls State application invitation. 

Recognizing my blind spots

Looking back, I’m shocked by my ignorance of the Legion, especially since my family’s history of military service. My paternal grandfather and my uncle served in the United States in the Air Force and Coast Guard, respectively. While it wasn’t in the U.S., my maternal grandfather served his country, South Korea, in the Navy during the Korean War. I’ve grown up with a sense of civic duty. I understood then, as I do now, the importance of honoring, respecting, and recognizing those who serve their country, but I hadn’t familiarized myself with the American Legion and the specifics of Veterans Associations throughout the United States. 

What gives?

As a direct descendant of U.S. and international veterans, I should have been aware of the American Legion, but it was Girls State that caused me to research veterans’ affairs further. Not only did it make me realize how ignorant I was to my own family’s contribution, but also to the struggles that other active-duty military families across the country face.

Girls State Blue Star delegates

At the final Girls State assembly, our Blue Star delegates were called forward. One girl was from my city, a smaller group that we had been sorted into within the state. She talked about her brother, and I saw a side of her I hadn’t even noticed when we had spent time together in our dorms and at mealtimes. Other girls went up, spoke about their families, and shared pictures of their active-duty military family members. I will keep their names and stories private. As they went down the line and spoke, tears welled in my eyes, and as I looked around, I could see other girls crying as well. 

At that moment, I couldn’t believe how blind I’d been to how much suffering girls like me had to endure for the sake of our country and for our freedom. Their stories, each different and special in their own ways, showed me that the military wasn’t just some distant organization or institution, it was a force made up of real people with real families, who worried about each and every one of them, many of whom would face mental struggles during and after their service.

I hope, more so than with my other blogs, that this one reaches many people. Americans, and those in other countries too, need to realize that having a military comes with the urgent need to support veterans and families, and to recognize the individuals that protect us.