Did You Thank a Vet Today?

Veterans Day is one of those holidays that can be easily overlooked if you're not careful; nobody gets the day off unless they work for a government office or a bank, Macy's doesn't have a "white sale" for it, and it doesn't even get moved to a Monday to give the celebrants a long weekend. But it's obviously very important to this nation, because it honors the sacrifices made by those who have worked to keep this country free.

Here's a great quote that came across my fraternity's listserv today:

What is a veteran?

A ‘Veteran‘ — whether active duty, discharged, retired, or reserve — is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to “The United States of America,” for an amount of “up to, and including his life.”

The author is unknown, but thanks to Matthew Fuger of Mackenbach, Germany, for submitting it.

On the radio today, the listeners' poll question was "Have you ever thanked a veteran?" I'm pretty sure I had before, but I was able to answer "yes" just now, because, with two veterans among the older students in one of my ensembles at the college, I made sure to recognize their service at the end of rehearsal today. With so little attention paid to the holiday, it seemed like the least I could do.

Have you ever thanked a veteran for his or her service?

(And yes, this post is going out at 11:11 p.m. on 11/11. I may not be up that late, but I'm thankful for "scheduled posting" so that I can do the symbolism properly.)