All gave some…

It’s likely that no matter where you go today, you’ll encounter someone who has made a sacrifice to serve our country.

You might see them walking down a supermarket aisle on a prosthetic leg or enter a restaurant and see an otherwise healthy-looking diner with only one arm.

Some scars of battle are obvious, others can’t be seen. But, to a man or woman who has served in the military, there’s likely one certainty: that soldier was proud to serve, proud to have been able to defend his or her country, to help preserve the many freedoms we enjoy because, no matter where they were, they were protecting us at any cost.

Whether their battle scars or sometimes-harsh memories stem from Bastogne, Iraq, Afghanistan, Saigon, Iwo Jima, Korea – it doesn’t matter, because all those who have worn or now wear a uniform have a common belief that they were doing what was necessary to protect the homes where they grew up, the neighborhoods where kids can laugh and run and play without fear of incoming shells or snipers on a hill.

These quietly brave souls are honored each year on a day that once was called “Armistice Day” when, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the War to End All Wars was declared over and many of those who breathed a sigh of relief had no idea that the Great War wasn’t the end, rather it was the beginning of a time that continues even now when, at any given moment, a conflict rages somewhere on this planet.

Whether it is a covert, nameless clash between forces of good and evil or is a full-blown war that daily makes for harsh headlines and endless speculation or controversy, at the center of it all are combatants willing to sacrifice their lives so that their loved ones won’t have to endure the pain, the fear, the heartbreak.

“All gave some, some gave all.” It’s a phrase country singer Billy Ray Cyrus immortalized. The origin of the quote is believed to have come from U.S. Army Sgt. William Osterkamp from Dent, Ohio, who earned a Purple Heart in Korea after serving on the front lines while hobbled by a broken leg for nearly four months in 1953.

The words will forever ring true, and we salute you all, and thank you for your service and dedication.

Yes, this week marks Veterans Day around the country, but all of us who appreciate our free America give thanks for you every single day of every year.

So when you’re out and about and see someone in uniform, walk up to them and thank them for their service.

And if you’re able, you can underscore your love and respect for our many veterans by placing flags or flowers on graves or memorials at virtually any cemetery – even at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arlington National Cemetery, which for more than a century has stood as a symbol of love, respect and honor for the ones who gave their all.

The most important thing is to let these brave individuals know that we love and support them.

Now and forevermore.

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