“At the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, 1918 hostilities in World War I officially ended. Later, recognized as Armistice Day, we celebrated the end of WWI, “the war to end all wars.” It didn’t, so in 1954 Congress changed it to Veterans Day to “Honor All Who Served” in all the wars since. These words are inscribed on the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C:  

    “Our nation honors her sons and daughters, who answered the call to defend a country they never knew, and a people they never met.”  Those words apply equally to all our veterans, to today’s active duty service members, and their families who help to keep us safe and maintain peace throughout the world. It epitomizes what American military service has stood for.

    The price of freedom is high and we cannot afford to forget those willing to pay it. Yet, today more and more people are unaware or unappreciative of the sacrifices that have been, and are still being made, by our veterans and active duty military. Organizations to support veterans and our troops in the field that thrived after 9/11 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have seen their monetary, resource and even community support dwindle. Some have had to stop operations completely. At a time when the world is as dangerous as ever, our military is being asked to do more with much less. Perhaps they have done their job so well that it has allowed us to become complacent, to take our safety and security for granted, and to some degree, them as well. America has a sacred trust to care for those who defend her. That cannot be forgotten or overstated. They need us now more than ever.

    Veterans Day is primarily a tribute to America’s living veterans and should be seen as a celebration.  It is our privilege to say “thank you” to all of America’s service members, to let them know that we appreciate them for their service, and honor them for their sacrifices. Every year,November 11 should serve as a reminder that we can never fully repay our debt of gratitude to American service members who have died, who were wounded, and continue to sacrifice in service to us. We can, however, recognize and thank veterans living today and support our military still out there on the front lines allowing us to enjoy the lives we choose to live.