First of all, let me just say that I have struggled for years to remember whether it’s “Veteran’s Day,” “Veterans’ Day” or “Veterans Day.” For the record, it’s apparently “Veterans Day.” A day of multiple veterans, and not one that belongs to one or more veterans.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, happy Veterans Day to all those who have served our country, and happy day to the families of those who have and are serving. It seems like Veterans Day has become another one of those holidays that all non-government employees begrudgingly acknowledge while grumbling about bank closures and no mail service.
And when we do take time to acknowledge military service, we tend to focus on the catastrophic sacrifices that some soldiers face, but we may forget about the more subtle, less headline-friendly costs of being a nation at war. When I was a reporter, I wrote several stories about local service men and women, and even the soldier who’d survived – barely – eight separate IED blasts to his Humvee talked more wistfully of missing his family than of the physical injuries he suffered.
Checking headlines at CNN.com (as I do about every two hours or so), I noticed that essentially all of the headlines but one bring bad news. DHL layoffs are leaving 8,000 more folks without jobs. Circuit City filed for bankruptcy. Explosions here killed this many, while explosions there killed that many. But amidst all of the doom and gloom stories, there was one that caught my eye. It’s about a group of volunteers that greet every incoming and outgoing plane of military personnel into and out of Bangor International Airport, offering handshakes, hugs, and heartfelt “thank yous” to the men and women who are serving in the military.
Now most of us won’t go this far in day to day business. But when we drive up to the bank tomorrow just to find the window closed, and when we grumble about not receiving our latest round of bills until Wednesday, let’s take a few moments to also think of our veterans … from the WWII veterans that we’re quickly losing to time, to the young men and women who are reporting for basic training this week.
