Veterans Day 2008

Today, we say thanks to men and women who fought, bled and died for our country.

A simple "thanks" to our vets never seems enough.

We lay down wreaths in remembrance of men and women who laid down their lives, and it always feels short of the full due.

How to express the pride, gratitude and debt we owe to these people who left home and fought for the ideals and privileges we take for granted today?

That inexpressible debt is not just owed from American citizens to our troops, it is owed to American troops by people all across the world. People who would today be speaking German, Japanese or Russian instead of their native tongue were it not for spilled American blood.

Our young troops today are dying in defense of the people of young democracies fighting for their very existence. They walk the cold border walls and stand in front of threatened embassy walls, so our diplomats can make the American case in the world courts.

How then, to express the gratitude we feel?

Words fail for the size of the task, and we're left with a simple "Thank you, and God bless!"