The Real Reason We Have the Day Off Today

If we're not careful, it's easy to forget why today is a holiday (hint: it's not just "the beginning of summer" or "the day the pools open"). Even though Dad is a veteran, he served in peacetime, so his only "war wound" is the scar from when he split his thumb open playing softball in the Army. Since I don't have any eloquent personal experiences to relate, I'll let others do the talking:

• A great collection of soldiers' stories from Peter Collier.


• Ann Althouse recalls her veteran parents (they met in peacetime, but the connection is indelibly written in her memory).


• Jules Crittenden scans the Web for us and offers highlights.


• And it's now been replaced with an actual post, but for part of today, James Lileks' Bleat pretty much summed things up: ALL GAVE SOME. SOME GAVE ALL.

I hope you had a safe and wonderful holiday, and that you took some time to remember why it's there. And continued Godspeed to my four former students--Fletch, John, Josh and Scott--who are serving our country in a most honorable way, helping to keep things safe for the rest of us.