From the American Revolution to the global War on terror today, brave men and women have answered the call to serve their country. Some were drafted and some signed up voluntarily but no matter their reasons, we owe them our gratitude for a lifetime.

These men and women have done more, seen more and heard more during their enlistments than any civilian could ever imagine. Some return home and are able to sustain a natural way of life, seeming to be unscathed by serving our country. Others return home with the war still raging inside them, possibly leading to suicide, drugs, and alcoholism.

No matter how our veterans return home, we need to stand behind them, support them and let them know we care. We need to help them find resources and treatment if needed to live out the rest of their lives in peace. We need to help those veterans who might be homeless or at risk of being homeless. We need to support families, friends and these veterans who have answered the call and paid the price.

While veterans’ suicide rates have been reported 50% higher than those who did not serve in the military, the cause of the trauma is most likely to occur in the first three years of their return to civilian life. This is why we need to educate others and raise awareness about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Veterans need to know that we support them and honor their sacrifices. We need to let our veterans know that we stand tall and are proud of them all. We thank them for everything they have been called to do so we can do what we are free to do. Our freedom has definitely come with a great price. Our country would not be what it is today without our veterans who have served.

Perhaps Winston Churchill said it best when he said, “Never was so much owed by so many to so few.”

Therefore to our men and women in uniform, past, present and future, we say thank you, God bless you and God bless the U.S.A.