Free Republic

For the first time in decades, members of the public will be allowed to walk on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Plaza — an honor typically reserved for presidents. "When we've seen the president in the past place the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, that's the same location where the public will be able to place flowers at the tomb," Gerald Lowe, who coordinates major events at the cemetery, told CBS News' Catherine Herridge. The area will be open to the public for the two-day event happening on November 9 and 10 at Arlington National Cemetery...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2009 – An army of volunteers wrote letters of thanks and assembled care packages for delivery to military families during Operation Appreciation, held Nov. 11 at George Washington University here. Karen Francis, an Army wife and Blue Star Families volunteer, prepares a care package at Operation Appreciation at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., 2009, Veterans Day. DoD photo by Gerry J. Gilmore  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The Veterans Day event was sponsored by military-support organization Blue Star Families and by ServiceNation, a national campaign that encourages volunteer service, in partnership with Target and the...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6, 2008 – President Bush issued a proclamation to honor all who are serving or have served in the U.S. armed forces. Bush issued his Veterans Day proclamation Oct. 31. The proclamation reads: “On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the men and women who in defense of our freedom have bravely worn the uniform of the United States. “From the fields and forests of war-torn Europe to the jungles of Southeast Asia, from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan, brave patriots have protected our nation's ideals, rescued millions from...

Thursday was Veterans Day. Since 911, and with the ensuing military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, much attention and appreciation has been focused on those who serve in our military today. But Veterans Day is a time when we remember ALL veterans, past and present. As one of our readers, Calvin E. Johnson, Jr. wrote to me, "America must remember those who served our country! To forget is dishonor." Veterans Day started as Armistice Day in 1926. At the end of the first global conflict, World War I, Congress set aside November 11 as the day when our nation would...

It is the VETERAN, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion. It is the VETERAN, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the VETERAN, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble. It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial. It is the VETERAN, not the politician, Who has given us the right to vote. It is the VETERAN who salutes the Flag, and...