Honoring the Valor and Sacrifice of Our Nation’s Veterans and Their Families
As Veterans Day nears, I find myself reflecting on the veterans I’ve known, like my father-in-law who served in WWII. He rarely spoke of his time in the war, of the difficult tasks like clearing jungles and making airstrips on far-off islands.
I think of my neighbor too, whose eyes show a glimpse of what he went through in Vietnam. And there’s my friend, who led soldiers through the jungles and came back with fewer than he took. They speak little, but their silence says so much.
A friend’s son came back from Iraq a different person. Time has helped him heal some, but some wounds might be with him forever. The cost of his service is more than we can see.
I know there are women who served as well, even if I can’t recall their names right now. They’ve played their part in ways many of us can’t fully understand, witnessing the harsh realities of conflict.
The veterans I know are humble. They work hard and care deeply for their families. They’re the kind of people who make a community strong, trustworthy, and proud.
And I think of the families of veterans too. They didn’t go to battle, but their support was critical. They kept life going and dealt with the absence of their loved ones.
On Veterans Day, we try to express our gratitude. We thank them for their service, for their sacrifices. But it feels like saying “thank you” isn’t enough to acknowledge the freedom they’ve preserved for us. It’s a day to remember that our simple words of thanks are filled with a deep appreciation for their immense contribution.
