VETERANS DAY

My niece and I were watching TV on Friday night and settled on Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader. Apparently no one is home on Friday night, so the networks don't waste their best programming . . . or maybe they do . . . either way . . . yikes!

One of the history questions was "In which war was the Battle of the Bulge fought?"

There were three choices, but I won't list them here. I couldn't imagine anyone not knowing the answer, even without the choices. But it seems there are a lot of people who don't know, or don't remember.

Today is Veterans Day, a day for us to remember and honor our veterans. If you don't know the answer to the question, don't ask a fifth grader. Ask a member of The Greatest Generation. Chances are they'll be able to tell you about it and give you the name of someone they knew who fought in it.

My father served in the U.S. Army during World War II and he knows about the Battle of the Bulge. He and his veteran friends do much in our community to honor the memory of those who have served our country in the armed forces.

My husband was in AFROTC during the 70's, when it was not the most popular thing to do on a college campus. He served on active duty for nine years and as a reservist for another fifteen, retiring as a Colonel. The Cold War ended during his service, but he was still around for the Gulf War. He flew KC-10 tankers and his reserve unit was activated. The F-15 unit from our base lost pilots and others were captured and held prisoner. The war that many watched on TV for a few days was not regular network programming, it was very real.

And I don't want to forget my daughter-in-law. She is not a veteran herself, but she works with and cares for disabled and retired veterans everyday, as a registered nurse at a veterans hospital.

Today is Veterans Day. It is a day for all those who served our country, in peacetime and in war. Military service means being on duty 24/7/52/365, and hoping you never have to do anything more than practice your job. Please remember everyone who has been willing to do that for our country and tell them thank you. They don't seek the recognition, but we are all well-served by remembering their contribution to our history.