This week our country celebrates Veteran’s Day on Nov. 11. It’s a national holiday, one where schools, banks and government agencies take the day off. Oftentimes this is looked at like Memorial Day or Labor Day — just another day to sleep in, get some work done around the house or run a few errands.
As you do that, take a moment to remember that we would not be able to do all of those things if it weren’t for the men and women who have fought, and in many cases, given their lives for our freedom.
If you are feeling especially patriotic, there will be a ceremony Wednesday at Belle Passi Mausoleum in Woodburn at 10:30 a.m. The service will be led by the Woodburn American Legion Post No. 46.
Highlights include an F-15 fly-over by the 123rd Fighter Squadron Red Hawks at 10:30 a.m. The Avenue of Flags, honoring our local war heroes, will fly along the cemetery driveways for several days, too.
It’s a day where if you see a soldier walking at the mall, shopping at the grocery store or filling up on gas at the gas station, take a moment to say “Thank you” to them. It will mean the world to them, to know that you care about what they are doing.
Veteran’s Day is also about remembering our past.
An average of 1,800 veterans die each day, and over 1,000 of them are World War II veterans, and 10 percent of them are buried in the country’s 125 national cemeteries.
That is a lot of history that will forever be lost. It’s a generation that is almost extinct, one that younger generations now will never, ever get to know on a personal level. That’s why, if you have the opportunity, take a child to a Veteran’s Day celebration, or some memorial or national cemetery, and explain to them why this day is so important.
With so much history being lost each day, take a moment Wednesday to reflect on the blood and sweat sacrificed by so many … and the great country we live in today.
