The men and women who give of themselves to defend the rights and freedoms we enjoy in this country are true heroes. November 11 is a date set aside to recognize the selflessness and bravery of the U.S. military, both today and yesterday. From the signing of the armistice in 1918 at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month that ended “the war to end all wars,” to the many celebrations around our state and country today, this is the day set aside annually to honor our nation’s best.

Our state is home to many current and past military personnel. In the 21st Senatorial District, we have Whiteman Air Force Base, the Warrensburg Veterans Home and the Higginsville Veterans Cemetery. Missouri is also home to other military installations, six additional veterans homes and four other veterans cemeteries. That is certainly a large number of service men and women in the Show-Me State to acknowledge for the many sacrifices each of these individuals have made, and continue to make daily. As a matter of fact, there are approximately 18,000 active duty military members currently stationed in Missouri and some 498,000 veterans that call our state home.

The Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C., has this inscription, “Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.” Every person who served in the military did so without knowing where they would go, or what task they would be handed. Another thought engraved at the same memorial is fairly common, yet no less true, “Freedom is not free.” The heroes of our military know that, and yet, they still offer their own services, often their own lives, to protect their country and defend the rights of each U.S. citizen.

I am honored to serve as one of two senators on the Missouri Veterans Commission. The commission has three main responsibilities. We assist all Missouri veterans and their families understand veterans’ rights and receive timely benefits through the state and federal government. The commission also supervises the seven veterans homes and five veterans cemeteries throughout the state. As a lawmaker, I am proud of the strides the General Assembly has made to make Missouri a more military-friendly state, and I anticipate future work and legislation to continue down that path.

Honoring our veterans and our military personnel remains one of my highest priorities. As we approach Nov. 11, Veterans Day, I ask each of you to take a few moments out of your day to thank someone who has so admirably and capably served this great country. If nothing else, at 11:00 a.m. that morning, do what was intended by our forefathers as an honorable recognition — observe a moment of silence for all that has been given and lost in the name of our freedom.