And to future soldiers, as these cadets know, Veterans Day is just as important.
Parades aren't just made up of soldiers and veterans. Children march during many parades, such as these children at the Veterans Day parade in New York City in 2016.
Parades are very common, with the biggest being in New York City. Here, members of the armed forces hold a US flag during NYC's Veterans Day parade in 2015.
Remembering loved ones lost to war is important for many people. This mother visited her son's grave at Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day in 2011.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdPrayer services and ceremonies are common on Veterans Day. American soldiers pray during a ceremony marking Veterans Day at the US Camp Eggers in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2009.
Veterans Day is also a good day to teach younger generations about the sacrifices people have made. This 4-year-old shares his name, Hunter, with the grandfather he's bringing flowers to at Arlington.
US soldiers, sailors, and airmen around the world observe Veteran's Day, even on active duty in warzones. These US soldiers attended a ceremony commemorating Veterans Day at the Bagram airfield north of Kabul in 2011.
Paying respects to friends and comrades lost on the battlefield is a sacred duty to veterans. Army Sgt. James Luong of Chandler, Arizona, kneels at the grave of a friend at Arlington National Cemetery a day before Veterans Day.
Remembrance is an important part of Veterans Day. Here, a man reaches up to touch a name upon the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdThese two women, saluting at a Veterans Day parade in 2001, served as army nurses during WWII.
Veterans Day started first as a day to remember the sacrifices of American troops during WWI — here, an effigy of ex-Kaiser Wilhelm is carried by crowds during an impromptu parade on Armistice Day in New York in 1918.