Depending on whether you observe it on a weekday (as government offices do) or on the traditional November 11, today or yesterday is Veterans Day.

It started as Armistice Day, commemorating the armistice that ended the fighting in World War I, then called the Great War. The armistice went into effect at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Today we use the date to honor all veterans, and especially war veterans.

I’m a veteran myself (U.S. Navy 1973-1977, plus a little time in the reserve after that), but I was never called upon to fight in a war or suffer more than minor hardships. I salute those who faced danger and sacrifice, including those serving today and those no longer with us. They and their families deserve our gratitude.

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