It’s the soldier, not the reporter who has given us Freedom of the Press.
It’s the soldier, not the poet, who has given us Freedom of Speech.
It’s the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the Freedom to Demonstrate.
It’s the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the Right to a Fair Trial.
It’s the soldier who salutes the flag, serves under the flag and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who gives the protestor the right to burn the flag.

~Father Dennis Edward O’Brien, USMC

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. The time is upon us again where we as Americans take time out to pay homage to our soldiers, airmen and sailors, both with us and fallen.

“Taking time” is what we do on or about the 11th of November. “Taking for granted” is something we do too often.

It’s much easier to honor our vets during the height of wars, but when the surges subside in the Middle East, there’s another battle to be fought at home.

Many of them will needs jobs and further education. Some will need a life’s worth of medical attention. Some will need more support. In 2020, however, there were 6,146 veteran suicides. That averages nearly 17 vets taking their own lives every day, according to the 2022 report by the Department of Veterans Affairs. That’s actually the lowest number since 2006, a sign that we are, perhaps, paying more attention to our veterans, but it’s a suicide rate that’s 57% higher than for non-veterans.

All of them need and deserve our appreciation.

So whether it’s an Air National Guard reservist on his or her way to work at the Stewart ANG base, or a veteran selling poppies at the local grocery store, be sure to stop and say “thank you.”