I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America.

Maybe you were sleepy – it was, after all, 7:30 a.m. Maybe you were finishing some last minute homework, and the interruption irritated you.

But no matter what, every school day for most of your childhood, you began the morning with the Pledge of Allegiance. The words tumbled out of your lips routinely, thousands of times, in unison with a classroom full of your peers. You did not have to say it, but you did say it, daily.

Then you graduated. Circumstance, whatever that means, brought you to the University of Tennessee. You embarked on a new chapter in your life, one that adults promised would be the “best four years of your life” and American pop culture portrayed as equal parts wild and crazy.

And you stopped saying the Pledge of Allegiance.

Do you miss it? Unless you autonomously choose to recite the pledge on your own time, the occasion for patriotism shifts dramatically in college. Instagram posts of your Fourth of July celebration become more socially acceptable than standing up at the beginning of your 8 a.m. and reciting the Pledge. The National Anthem at sporting events becomes the only time you regularly rise and pay tribute to the flag and the republic for which it stands.

You see military commercials on TV, you probably know some veterans and you might read an article about the military posted on Facebook. But for most American college students, patriotism ceases to be a consistent part of the day.

In its original form, the Pledge actually read, “I pledge allegiance to my Flag.” Written by the socialist minister Francis Bellamy in 1892, it was intended to be used by citizens in any country. Thirty years passed before the phrase “of the United States of America” was added, making the Pledge a distinctly American ritual. The word “my” transformed into the word “the,” and the Pledge became a bit less personal.

But during the “Medal of Honor Convention” held in Knoxville in September, I met men for whom the Pledge of Allegiance was personal. These were not obligated third graders in class – at the beginning of several events, the recipients of our nation’s highest military award stood and recited the Pledge of Allegiance out of genuine loyalty.

Many of these men lost friends in battle, and some of them, such as Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry, covered their hearts with mechanical hands that replaced the limbs they left behind. Standing in a room full of the kind of war heroes you study in school, I was struck by the palpable fealty emanating from their voices.

So often, I forget that I am a child of war – the War on Terror began when I was 8 years old. Compared to the children in Afghanistan or Iraq, my war experience has been pretty peaceful. I have not seen my family killed or my hometown destroyed. I have not watched tanks drive down my street or armed soldiers march through my neighborhood. I have not been touched, fortunately, by the consequences of war.

Listening to the gruff voices of aging Medal of Honor recipients recite the Pledge, I realized why I have been so fortunate. Because of men and women who serve – and especially the men and women who sacrifice their lives – I have lived through war in relative comfort.

If the Medal of Honor recipients voluntarily recite the Pledge of Allegiance, then why don’t I? Why don’t we, as a generation, continue to proclaim our loyalty to the country we call home?

Today, make the Pledge of Allegiance a part of your Veteran’s Day. Say the words you know by heart, or at least think about the meaning behind them. And while you’re at it, think about the kind of men and women who pledge allegiance with more than words.

R.J. Vogt is a senior in College Scholars. He can be reached at [email protected].