Honoring Our Veterans 8,744,000 Americans were said to serve during the Vietnam War (Hurt). Tony Arellano served in the military during the Vietnam War. He was one out of about nine million people who served in Vietnam. When honoring veterans, it is important to consider being drafted, going through basic training, and the medals veterans were awarded. Getting drafted in the war can be a shocking and confusing experience for all. Tony Arellano had a harsh childhood, which included losing his mom and grandma. He then started to get involved in illegal activities and was sent to court. While in court one of his peers asked him to consider joining the military. Soon after Arellano received a letter in the mail. He reported, “Actually got the…show more content… There are numerous types of medals that veterans are able to receive based on different circumstances. Also, the medals are ranked from highest to lowest based on how hard they are to earn. The article “Military Awards for Valor - Top 3” said, “The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration that may be awarded by the United States government. It is presented by the President of the United States, in the name of Congress, and is conferred only upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty” (Military Awards for Valor - Top 3). Medals can be won just by getting deployed, saving someone's life, or getting injured during wartime. It is an enormous honor to receive any kind of medal in the military. While Arleno served in Vietnam, he earned a few medals. Arellano recalled, “I ended up getting the Vietnam Vet Service Medal, a Bronze Star, and Air Medals would be for that” (Arellano). Most people are proud of the medals they have obtained, but medals don’t show everything a person has gone through. They just symbolize a rough outline of their
