Honor to our Veterans

The first time I went to Europe some years ago, I visited two military cemeteries honoring fallen soldiers. The white crosses all in a row as far as the eye could see brought tears to my eyes. A cross for every young man who gave his life for freedom in bloody wars. We don’t often think of how many soldiers perished to ensure the enemy was defeated, but we should. And we should also never forget the number of soldiers who came home after giving their all in battle. We owe them so much.

            At the November ceremonies honoring veterans, we see a quickly diminishing number of older men who served in WWII proudly at attention because there are so many younger veterans these days. The ranks of young men and women who serve their country in varied far-away places with honor keep growing. Let’s show them we appreciate their sacrifice. As someone put it: A veteran is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'citizens of my country' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'

            That is honor. There are too many people who no longer understand what it means.

            This November, let’s pay homage to all those who ensured our freedom. We owe them that much and so much more. And let’s make sure our children and grandchildren understand the sacrifices of our veterans.

             Lest we forget, lest they forget.