It’s troubling that many merchants and employers no longer follow the Federal Government in closing on Veterans Day. It’s true that many Americans fail to observe the day in any meaningful way, but the significance of the memorial cannot be understated.

Our global community has suffered through two World Wars in the past century. While our approach to those wars may be academic, war is anything but. The gruesome nature of the fighting, particularly the First World War, whose ending we commemorate today, exacts a huge toll on all involved.

Today, I pause to remember the countless men and women who gave of themselves for the cause of freedom. Everything that I have today, the peace and security that my family enjoys, is thanks to their selfless sacrifice.