Veteran's Day

     Today marks the end of fighting in the first really big mechanized war, one that left scars twisting across the face of Europe still visible today.  Today, the guns fell silent -- and today is the day we chose to honor all who serve in uniform.  Not the date of a tremendous battle, or of an occasion of valiant heroism.  No invasion hit a beach or border on this date.  This isn't even the date the treaty that officially ended that war was signed; that wouldn't come for months later.

     No, today is the day the warriors laid down their weapons, and began the long road home to try to rebuild the peace.  That peace barely held for a generation, and they were back fighting again; but that war came to an end, too.

     All wars come to an end, but the men and women who fight them, who train for them, who hold the line in peace and in war, go on and on, overworked, underpaid and often underappreciated.  Think of them on this day, not as the pawns of generals and admirals or arrows on a map, but as people, doing a difficult job, often under terrible conditions, persisting.  Don't take them for granted.