Society has become a most interesting place in that just about every day is designated a special day for one reason or another, for reasons big, small, unique and — sometimes — puzzling. 

Before the summer is over, we will have found a reason to celebrate any number of issues and to designate many with a dedicated day of celebration. But for one category of persons, every day is worthy of appreciation.

In entering the summer months and all the family gatherings, I could not stop thinking about the roughly 1% of our population who are major reasons why we, as a nation, are free and able to enjoy holidays with our loved ones — our military veterans! Personally, at holiday gatherings, I continue to visualize the faces of wonderful men I served with who made the ultimate sacrifice and who will never know the exhilaration of having children, grandchildren and all the wonderful attributes that we, as citizens of this great nation, enjoy and for which far too many of our fellow citizens take for granted.  Without intending to sound melodramatic, these images are burned into my soul and my memory, and like most veterans, I would not have it any other way. To Corporal Russ Rowe, who was cut down by machine gun fire; Major Bob Ashby, who died from oil well fires; Colonel Tim Anderson, who fell prey to Agent Orange; Sergeant Major Robert Cottle, who died from hostile fire; and hundreds of other colleagues: I will never forget you, nor will I let others forget you either! Two of these heroes were local police officers; Anderson was afflicted, and Cottle was fatally wounded, both while on military leave of absence from the Los Angeles Police Department.

In my column, Leader to Leader, I am hard-pressed to think of a more profound way of demonstrating leadership than to loudly and conspicuously give a continuing voice to our wonderful men and women who have served and are continuing to serve our nation than to honor their service each day. As we enjoy our hamburgers this summer, think of the thousands of service men and women whose meals are covered with gnats; as we enjoy the sunset, think of the thousands of service men and women who are being bitten nonstop by mosquitos; and as we enjoy that ice cream cone, think again of those thousands of men and women who would really like to have something, anything that is cold. These are not historic comments based on memories but rather realities that are occurring right now as you read this article! These are the daily activities of those wonderful men and women who make up roughly 1% of the population and play such a profound role in keeping the rest of us safe!

I continue to be involved in a wonderful endeavor that honors military veterans around the clock in the Eastern San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County in California, and something that can be easily replicated throughout the United States. Kara Larsen, herself a military widow and the owner of Kara’s Korner Deli, constructed a large sign that is placed at the entrance to her restaurant. On that massive display are over 100 canvas-velcro patches, each dedicated to a military veteran who resides in the community. 

All veterans are validated by military documentation to protect against imposters. Each 5-inch-by-5-inch patch contains the preferred unit patch of each man or woman, his or her highest award, and miscellaneous qualification badges. Obviously, each veteran’s name is very conspicuous for all to see. These wonderful men and women, with service ranging from World War II (only two left), Cuba, the Gulf, Vietnam and the Middle East, are fiercely proud of their presence on the display and visit often with guests and loved ones. These veterans are the cream of our workforce and are typically called the best teachers, mechanics, physicians and compassionate police officers. Kara ensures that each veteran’s service is acknowledged and appreciated each and every day!

I invite the reader to not only look at the photo of the display but also enlarge it and reflect on all the awards and decorations that are reflected. From Purple Hearts and Valor Awards to Good Conduct Medals and everything in between, these are folks who “paid their dues” and for whom the rest of society owes a debt of gratitude that can never be completely repaid. Russ, Bob, Tim and Bob — you and your sacrifices will never be forgotten. God bless each of you and your families, as well as the United States of America. 

A final thought for each reader: What would our workforce look like if it were not for the skills, discipline and work ethics contributed by our veterans over the years? Our veterans not only served and sacrificed in conventional ways, but over the years, they have played a major role in strengthening the backbone and professionalism of our workforces. The two words of leadership and veterans are intrinsically linked!

In one form or another, let us all celebrate each day as Veterans Day!