Editorial
Observe History's Lessons On Veterans' Day

This Saturday, Nov. 11, 2006, is the 88th anniversary of the day when at 11 a.m. one of the first and bloodiest conflicts of the 20th century officially ended. That war, "The War to End All Wars", was by no means the end of anything. The battles went on and 23 years later the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor drew us into the second worldwide conflict of the century. Only five years after World War II ended we found ourselves looking down the barrel of another nation's guns, this time in Korea. Vietnam, Lebanon, Somalia, the Gulf War and after Sept. 11,

2001, Afghanistan and Iraq, followed,

with other "minor" engagements the world over in between and sometimes simultaneously. All these conflicts have brought men and women to enter honorable service in our country's military. Too many times in our eagerness to put

the memories of the conflict, any conflict, behind us we tend to forget that our peace, freedom and security have been won at a heavy price. Even those of our soldiers who came home from the battles outwardly unscathed have been affected by their experiences. Those experiences too often go unacknowledged. Those who have sustained permanent injury from whatever war they fought in too often languish forgotten in veterans' hospitals. We owe them an enormous debt, but we tend to be slow on repayment. The moment of silence commemorating the cease-fire that ended World War I, observed at 11 a.m., too often has shrunk to at most 30 seconds. The monuments and cenotaphs where every year fewer people place wreaths and hold services are inscribed with "Lest We Forget", but all too often, we have. On this Veterans' Day 2006, it seems to

us that in the midst of all the things we find to do on any busy Saturday, we surely can spare a few moments to pause and reflect on all we owe our veterans, whatever their age and rank and however they earned their status. If there's a parade heading down a street close to you, take a few minutes to pause and put your hand over your heart when the flag goes by. Wave and smile at the veterans marching and tell them "Thank you". And don't let your enthusiasm and appreciation wane when the clock moves on to 11:01 a.m. Visit a veterans' hospital. Listen to the stories. Regardless of how little United States Senator John Kerry thinks of the intelligence of our military, our veterans have a lot to teach us. We will be the richer if we take the time to honor their sacrifice, and by honoring them, learn.