Veterans important today, too

Thank a veteran today.

Yes, we know it’s the day after Veterans Day, but that’s the point. The service provided to the nation by members of our armed forces, whether in time of war or not, is so invaluable that it must never be forgotten.

Veterans Day offers an opportunity for organized ceremonies, but every day is an opportunity to recognize the sacrifice and dedication of our friends, neighbors and family members who gave their all for all of us.

In that sense, every day should be Veterans Day, because it was far more than one day of service that these men and women gave to their country.

Recognizing veterans is particularly poignant this week, as the nation also honors the ultimate sacrifice of a dozen of our finest soldiers who were gunned down on their own military base.

That tragedy hits particularly close to home, since one of the slain soldiers, Pfc. Aaron Nemelka, hails from a large extended family in the Columbia Falls area.

Remembering America’s veterans also is important these days as the ranks of the Greatest Generation — the warriors who fought in World War II — dwindle inexorably.

These were soldiers such as Kalispell’s Lester Smith. Smith, now 89, still vividly remembers the fierce fighting he endured during the storied battle for Iwo Jima.

Smith spent 36 days on the remote volcanic island running wire between foxholes — and expecting to die any minute as the battle raged around him. You can read about Smith’s war experience in Sunday’s Daily Inter Lake.

But on Iwo Jima, there was one crowning moment that gave inspiration to all the surviving Americans locked in deadly combat with the Japanese.

That was the iconic raising of the U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi. That flag became an inspiring symbol and raised spirits and morale of all the U.S. troops.

And just as the stars and stripes inspired the soldiers, so too should the exploits and sacrifices of all our veterans inspire us all.