Every day should be Veterans Day.
Yes, we should honor veterans every chance we get, whether it be with a simple handshake and thank you, or a parade.
Veterans deserve everything — and then some, as my friend George Toma would say.
When I think of veterans, I always recall that day at the local VA Medical Center when most of the attendees were in wheelchairs. They were wearing hats that proudly displayed which branch they had served in. They also wore the scars of battle — evidence of injuries suffered in the performance of their duty to their country. Some scars were not visible to the naked eye — they were hidden deep inside some of these brave men and women.
They all had fought for our freedom, and they would tell you they would do it all over again if given the opportunity. And when the national anthem was sung, they saluted and sang along — no one in the room took a knee.
As I looked around the room, I studied each of them, and I wondered what they were thinking when they were about to engage the enemy. Were they scared? I’m sure they were from time to time. But as one of the speakers that day said, they were able to contain their fear and transfer it into courage.
Throughout history, brave men and women have willingly gone into battle to defeat the enemy, and in so doing, our freedom has always been preserved. It sounds like a simple equation, but as another speaker said, “Freedom is never free.”
Veterans Day really should be every day. We should thank a veteran every time we meet one. “Lest we forget” is the least we can do.
Ceremonies like those held that day at the VA Medical Center are stark reminders of what veterans have done for us. So many left their homes and families and went off to war, never to return. Many more returned without an arm or leg, or with other injuries not visible to the naked eye.
And they returned to pick up the pieces, go to work, raise a family, and make their part of America strong again.
And when our military wasn’t charged with fighting a war, troops were deployed around the world keeping the peace and assuring that we back home were always safe.
The point is, our military, our veterans, have always been there for us, and they always will be. We can sleep at night because we know our military is on watch. They have our backs. They are our guards.
Our gratitude should be shown easily — “Thanks for your service.” That’s all they ask.
My late friend Jim Walsh fought in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II. Jim always attended Veterans Day ceremonies, and he always brought American flags with him to distribute.
One time, I asked Jim what these ceremonies meant to him and all veterans. His answer was simple — “Remembrance,” he said.
For all his service, for all the service given by our veterans, all they ask in return is to be thanked and for us to remember what they and all who came before them have done for every one of us.
So when I sat in the recreation room at the VA Medical Center several years ago, you might think I saw those men and women and felt sorry for them, but not so fast. These veterans may have been old, they may have been disabled, they may have appeared to be broken in some way — but they weren’t.
Those veterans exemplified the strength of America. They are the examples of what fighting for freedom is all about. They had met the enemy and they won. And because of their bravery, their determination and their love of country, we continue to live in a country where freedom rings.
Yes, Veterans Day is every day, and every day that we live in this free country has been made possible by those who served.
All veterans know why they had to do what they did.
Patriotism needs to be nurtured — not just on Veterans Day, but every day. An American flag flies outside my front door every day. And veterans and their families are always in my prayers.
It’s easy for me because of where I came from. My dad set the perfect example. We must find a way to instill patriotic pride in those who haven’t had the good fortune of having a war hero as a role model.
If not for our veterans, nothing else would be possible.
So when the rains came on Sunday, I felt sad. Maybe the crowd would be smaller. Maybe there would be fewer participants.
But in reality, when you consider all that all veterans have done for us over the past 250 years, you realize something profound.
It can never rain on their parade.