The Last Veteran

Last week, President Barack Obama dramatically shifted his Syria policy by announcing he would station around 50 Special Operations troops in the war-plagued country, ostensibly to "advise and assist" Kurdish and Arab fighters battling ISIS.

Whether this number represents too many (as many liberals believe) or too few (as is the belief among conservatives), what cannot be disputed is this adds to the number of United States military who will be actively involved in some form of operation overseas.

Today - November 11 - is Veterans Day, where we thank all men and women who have served honorably in the military during times of war and peace. And while with each passing year the surviving veterans of the Greatest Generation become a little thinner, and memories of their heroism fade a little deeper into history, the current generation is asked by our government to try and fill in those numbers.

Being in the military is for the most part a thankless job. But today is a day we, as citizens, can and should thank them loudly and strongly.

Today, these men and women - some tens of thousands of other Americans who have served in the United States Armed Forces, will be celebrated in Veterans Day parades in big cities and small towns. This includes recent graduates of area high schools who have chosen to don the uniform instead of attending local community colleges or out-of-state universities. It includes personnel who have returned home and found positions in the private and public sector. It includes those who are hoping to travel to Washington, D.C. on an upcoming Honor Flight, and those who may have served the nation without having ever been called into action in a hot zone.

There will sadly come a day not so long from now when we will read a news story marking the death of the last World War II veteran. A person of military age the day of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor (and the United States’ entry into WWII) is now more than 90 years old. According to statistics released by the Veteran’s Administration, our World War II veterans are dying at a rate of nearly 500 a day. This means there are only approximately 855,000 veterans remaining of the 16 million who served our nation in World War II (and less than 80,000 in Florida); by 2036, it is estimated there will be no living veterans of World War II left to recount their experiences.

Time indeed passes quickly. Today - indeed, on every day - let us show our gratitude and respect for their service, and the service of all those who have followed.