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Honor veterans: serve in your own way How do we repay those who have volunteered to serve and protect our country, near and wide; who have left the comforting and loving fold of family and friends; who have gone off to foreign lands, risked their lives and worn the uniform of the American military? We can't. Yet, every year since 1919 when President Woodrow Wilson recognized the sacrifices of those who served in World War I and proclaimed a national day of recognition for our fallen heroes, we try. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower called upon Americans to "remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly on the seas, in the air and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom. He asked that Americans "reconsecrate" themselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not be in vain. November 11,1954 was set aside as the day to do that. This date was changed to the fourth Monday of October in 1968, but the message is the same. It is an opportunity to offer tribute to those Americans who have not only freed us from tyrants, oppressors and terrorists but also have given us all the opportunity to live in peace and prosperity. Freedom isn't free. The costs are often too high. As we struggle through a war waging in the Middle East against new tyrants and new terrorists, we are made more keenly aware of the role our military plays in America's security and the sacrifices that each who serve, and their families, are called upon to make.
We cannot all serve in uniform, but the greatest tribute to those who do is to serve in our own way. We can volunteer in local organizations within our community making life better for those less fortunate. We can support our military by making sure they know they are remembered with packages and letters from home. We can pray for peace and we can take a moment this Monday to call an "old soldier" and simply say thanks for what they were willing to do.
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