Max Zurcher, Minot

Veterans Day 2013 will be celebrated Nov. 11 at the Grand Hotel at 11 a.m. The veterans groups of Minot welcome every person inspired by the meaning of Veterans Day to attend.

A brief meaning of the word veteran one who at sometime in their lifetime have served this country, “America” and have been discharged or retired from military duty.

Many people maybe don’t know that active military members from Minot Air Force Base who have protected the people of this country for over 50 years are not veterans. Also there are many National Guard and Reserve members that have 20 years or more of service to our country that are not veterans. This veteran status must be changed to allow these military personnel to be called a veteran of our country. The law that stands in their way requires that they must have served 180 consecutive days of active duty.

It is very important that members of Minot’s military functions, also elected and appointed Minot citizens, attend these Veterans Day programs. Sometimes people don’t attend because they are not veterans; Veterans Day is for everybody a day to thank the veterans for their service to America and inspire the younger generations to also participate.

The new veterans from the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan wars, plus many shorter engagements, are now coming back from where they were fighting. These young people have given much credit to the older generations of veterans that welcomed them home. Many of the older vets take the new vets under an umbrella of hope, to help them get their benefits from the V.A. Many of the younger vets say the Vietnam veterans are the greatest generation to them. Vietnam veterans were never welcomed home. So Nov. 11 is our day of welcome. President Obama, by presidential proclamation, made March 29 as Vietnam Veterans Day.

God bless all our veterans and military personnel wherever you are.