EDITORIAL: Thank you, veterans

Published 4:00 pm Friday, November 10, 2023

Saturday is Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor the service of our nation’s veterans. It shouldn’t take a designated day for us to recognize our armed service members and what their sacrifice means to our country.

So many of the freedoms we experience every day would not be possible without our veterans.

The origin of this time-honored tradition dates back many years to November 1919, when Pres. Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day marking the end of World War I with the following words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”

Threats to our democracy may loom, but our veterans answer the call to protect our freedoms.

We need to honor that on Veterans Day and every day by paying tribute to the millions of Americans who were called upon to serve in numerous capacities and who dutifully and bravely answered the call. Veterans Day reminds us of the wars that have scarred our past, secured our present and made possible our future, and the bravery of the men and women who fought them.

While many of us get a day off from work, banks and other offices are closed on Friday, Veterans Day honors who have sacrificed so much for our country and demonstrated bravery in times of peril.

Take a pause on Saturday to reflect on their service. Attend a local Veteran’s Day observance. Volunteer or donate to a veterans support organization. Donate items for care packages, send a letter to a service member, check in on a family member who may have a service member overseas, volunteer at the veteran’s home. Listen to the stories of our older veterans, the history that they entail. Listen, and remember that these men and women answered the call to protect our freedoms and serve to honor peace and security as their mission all across the globe. It’s the least any of us can do for the great sacrifice they have all paid.

November is a month many of us take pause to give thanks. We should also give thanks to our veterans, and further the effort each and every day. As U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy once said: “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

We owe these men and women a tremendous debt of gratitude.

Let us never forget their sacrifice.

Thank you, veterans.