Honor the veterans who've served and protected the nation

Today is Veterans Day, and everyone should take time out from their day to remember those who have served and those who are serving in our nation's military.

We should be honoring veterans every day because we have the kinds of days we have because of what veterans have done. Some veterans made the ultimate sacrifice, others suffered injuries in combat, others were prisoners of war and others still bear the scars of war.

Honoring them is the least we can do as citizens of a grateful nation.

My service in the military is still the defining event in my life, and I just served in aircraft maintenance in peacetime, so my service is nothing compared to the service of others in the past or today. Indeed, I think the people serving today have it a lot tougher than I ever did. The troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are vastly more competent and much better trained than I ever was.

You know you're getting old, though, when you attend an event and interview a one-star general, with rows of ribbons, and realize he's the same age as you are and went into the service after you went in.

Our nation does a good job of honoring its veterans, in my view, and the people are more aware than before that the veterans have done much for the country. There's more that needs to be done, but compared to, say, the period after World War 1, few would deny that things have improved for those who have served.

Veterans services are available from the federal government, and that's a good thing, but people need to realize that veterans are people, too, and they deserve to be respected. You may not agree with the wars we're in or the politicians who sent the troops there or the ones who keep the troops there, but there is no excuse for taking out your frustration on those in uniform.

Those who wear the uniform, from the lowliest private to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, are entitled to respect for the service and sacrifice they are making.

Those who have served also deserve respect from us. They've done so much and I personally am grateful to them.

On this Veterans Day, let's remember and honor our veterans.