Thanks for veterans a year round sentiment

Editoral: Veterans Day has passed but the gratitude for those who served has not expired. The thanks we can and should offer our veterans has no shelf life. Those words of appreciation, the handshakes and the notes mean just as much today as they did on Sunday.
The programs throughout the area on Veterans Day emphasized this sentiment. The people those services and ceremonies honored have sacrificed their safety, their family and friends and even their lives to serve our country.
The government and the organizations that helped install Veterans Day and keep it alive today should be applauded. It’s a valuable holiday that puts their sacrifices into perspective.
As we heard during those speeches at the programs, a simple word of thanks at any given time can make a huge difference. Veterans Day hasn’t always existed and we’re often reminded that life isn’t often good for vets once they come home. Throughout history, they’ve been forgotten and even degraded for serving in certain wars.
Today, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, 11 percent of the homeless population in the United States are veterans. The risk of suicide for veterans is 22 percent higher than a non-veteran.
These are signs of the effects that service and its repercussions can have on an individual and are issues they experience every day.
It’s important that we keep in mind every day the sacrifices they make because their battle is not necessarily over when they return home. So today, and all days, thank a veteran.