“Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude.” — President Harry S. Truman
Today, Nov. 11, is Veterans Day, and we want to take this opportunity to express our thanks to the men and women who have served in this nation’s military branches over the years — and to those who are currently serving.
We owe our veterans a huge debt, and as Harry S. Truman so accurately noted in the quote above, it is one we can never hope to repay. For those of us who haven’t served in the military, we can only imagine the challenges, trials and struggles these heroes have gone through for the sake of their country. And some of them may continue to struggle years later.
According to the U.S. Census, there are currently around 19 million veterans in the United States. They are grandparents, parents, children, the person next door, a co-worker — as diverse a group of people as one could imagine. But they share a common bond: they served in order to preserve our freedom. And they deserve our utmost gratitude.
Veterans Day is celebrated on Nov. 11 because it is the anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended World War I hostilities between the allied nations and Germany in 1918. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower officially changed the name of the Nov. 11 holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day. In 1968, the Uniform Holidays Bill was passed by Congress, which moved the celebration of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. But in 1975, President Gerald Ford returned Veterans Day to Nov. 11, due to the important historical significance of the date.
In an ideal world, we wouldn’t need the armed services to safeguard our nation. But the world of today is far from ideal, and one only need observe what is going on in Ukraine to know that threats to our freedoms and way of life are very real — perhaps now as much as any time in history. We wish it wasn’t necessary to ask our young men and women to make this kind of sacrifice for our freedom, but that’s the reality we live in, and again, we are forever grateful.
So as you go about your business on this Veterans Day, take time to ponder what the meaning of the holiday is really all about. Likely you know someone who has served, or is serving in our armed forces. Take the time to say thank you, or even better, find a way to show them what their service means to you.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.