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Veterans’ Day is coming up, and there are countless numbers of veterans whom we can celebrate.  Some of them are close to home.  My family has had a tradition of serving in the military, from my grandfather having served in the Army, to my father serving in the Navy during World War II, to my own service in the Army Reserve during the Persian Gulf era.  I used to ask my father if he could tell me any stories about the war.  He felt there was nothing exciting he could share because he worked in food service.

Even so, there are a number of family members and friends I know who have served.  Some stayed on the homefront like I did, while others boldly went to the battlefield and came back.  There will be several opportunities for veterans to be celebrated, and many merchants and organizations will have fantastic deals and special events to honor many great men and women for their service.  I would encourage any and all to take advantage of the opportunities to make the day special.

I often miss working at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.  Yes, it’s a long name, and I don’t think it was abbreviated, nor does it have to be.  I met hundreds of great individuals, some having unique stories to share, and some with vivid memories that were troublesome that I wouldn’t trouble them about.  All of these should be honored for their contributions to our nation’s defense.

Some, like my father, endured the hardships of racism and prejudice, and even after serving honorably, came back to a world that still didn’t regard them as equal citizens.  In my time of service, sometimes the stereotypes showed out, but great efforts were made to ensure everyone got along, and learned to work together.  Perhaps if we employ those things that we learned in working with our neighbors, we can improve the state of the world in which we live.

Some veterans may have missed receiving certain awards or benefits that were earned.  Please don’t give up searching and striving for recognition.  None of us should ever say that the contributions of any veteran were forgotten and never recovered.  If there are awards that you may be missing, start through your chain of command, and continue searching until success is achieved.  Don’t be discouraged, if you’ve earned it, you should have it, and there are people willing to help find it for you.

These are scary times we live in.  As we hear of terrorist attacks in other parts of the world, and some that reach our land, we will have a need for people who are willing to take up arms and defend our nation and others from acts of evil, wherever they abound.  Thank you for your service, you have made this nation great by defending the ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as our founding fathers have written in our history and law.  With genuine gratitude, Thank You.