Celebrating Idaho’s Veterans With Community Appreciation Events

Today is Veterans' Day in Idaho and around the country. It is the day we honor all those who have served, going back to the holiday's early beginnings in the last century. It was initially known as Armistice Day.

In Idaho, various outlets will offer free meals or discounts to veterans. Many Idahoans take the extra effort by buying a veteran breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Our state is blessed to have so many retired veterans who have moved to the Gem State because of our traditional American values.

Locally, we have our own Gowen Field, home of the Idaho Army and Air National Guard. Units are deployed worldwide, keeping folks at home safe while they work their full-time jobs.

A few more miles away is Mountain Home Air Force Base, home to many Air Force personnel and their families. These folks come to Idaho for a set period of time and then move on to their next deployment. Mountain Home AFB has been in the news due to training foreign fighters.

Did you know that less than one percent of the entire population is eligible to join the military? Of that one percent, only half of those make it through the training.

As you know, we should all honor all of our veterans in Idaho and across the country. Those folks voluntarily leave their family to defend their country. Lonely days, long deployments, dangers in training in real life, and not being paid enough to warrant the risks.

Veterans answer to a higher calling, and thank God they do, for without them, we'd have no country we call the land of liberty.