Venerating the veterans

Some have begun calling today 11/11. It's Veterans Day — the day that saw the end of World War I, the Great War, that War to End All Wars. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, a cessation of hostilities went into effect.

We've been celebrating Veterans Day as a nation now for 91 years. And over the years, the day has grown to include all U.S. veterans from all national conflicts. In the beginning, the celebrations were small, with businesses closing their doors for a spell at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11 as a tip of the hat to fighting men and women. But today, the tributes have snowballed. And it has been especially encouraging this year to see the interest in Veterans Day becoming greater than ever.

San Francisco, Reno and other cities have sponsored parades.

Schools have prepared special lessons to commemorate "Remembrance Day."

Restaurants are offering free meals to veterans.

Parks are offering free admission.

Newspaper articles, television features and radio reminders abound.

And Old Glory is flying as never before.

With the United States fighting wars on two fronts, perhaps the sheer number of veterans has prompted the upturn in interest. But whatever the reasons, the focus on the nation's warriors is welcome.

Conventional wisdom says war veterans will never get all the accolades they deserve. But it's nice to see people going the extra mile this year to acknowledge them.

We agree with poet Maya Angelou: "How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!"

And as our awareness of the horrors of war have been brought closer to home by the media and by the soldiers themselves, the words of Jose Navosky ring true: "In war, there are no unwounded soldiers."

All soldiers end up paying a price.

Some with their lives.

Some with their limbs.

Some with their peace of mind, their nightmares and their lost time with their loved ones.

Today is the day to thank them for their willingness to pay.

They have earned all the gratitude we can muster.