They're friends, husbands, fathers, daughters, and siblings. They've sacrificed their time, postponed careers, college degrees, and even parenthood in order to serve our country. You probably know at least one veteran. These women all have something to say to the veteran in their lives: "Thank you!" Have you thanked a veteran today?

"I would like to thank my dad. He emigrated to this country when he was 15 from Yugoslavia. When the time came, he didn't wait to be drafted, he enlisted to serve his new country, the one that gave him and his family freedom from Hitler and his regime. He taught me more about freedom and being American than any textbook ever did." - Theresa, Creal Springs, Ill.

"I would like to thank my father posthumously. Col. William A. Darden was a decorated soldier who fought bravely in World War II and in Korea. His children were born late in his life, and we never appreciated his service or thanked him when we had the opportunity. God bless you, Dad." - Kathryn,

1. When a deployment is imminent, we just want it to start. That doesn't mean we want our spouses to leave. We don't. But when the date has been set and our husband's bag is sitting half-packed in the corner of the bedroom, we start getting anxious, worried and a little bit angry. We think about the upcoming months and everything he's going to miss and everything we're going to have to do alone. It's overwhelming. Once they leave, we can start to tackle the challenges one at a time and that's so much easier than the waiting. But those last few weeks before he leaves are wrought with frustration, nervousness and a little fear.

2. We are not miserable the whole time they are gone. We don't like that our family is split up, but we can't live in the future or press a pause button on our life, so we focus on other things. Hobbies, children, visiting friends and family, work; our life is still full. Just not complete.

3. But there are tears right underneath the surface. Whene

Each year before Veteran's Day, the President issues a proclamation. The words vary according to who holds the position, but the essence in recent years, has been the same. Veteran's Day is an occasion to honor those who have worn the military uniform. While Veteran's Day has evolved into an honorarium for those who have served in the armed forces, its original co-purpose, promoting world peace, seems to have been left by the wayside. It can be tricky for pacifists to honor pacifist ideals while respecting and celebrating those who have served in the armed forces. Perhaps a lesson can be learned from the experience of these groups that have tackled this thorny issue.

Veterans for Peace

Veterans for Peace is a coalition of former military who have learned by experience that "wars are easy to start and hard to stop and that those hurt are often the innocent." The group opposes war and works to abolish it as an instrument of national policy, yet it also seeks justice for vetera

On this Veterans Day, my son will be home. Not yet a veteran, this young man is prepared to leave for boot camp in a few short months. The nephew of a two Gulf Storm veterans and the grandson of a Vietnam vet, he is proud and excited to join the United States military and become a future veteran.

A big part of my parenting days are over with him, but the one link to home he will have during boot camp and active duty will be my letters. This is stressed on many military forums and so, I have already started to consider this my new hobby. I have been encouraged to start writing letters to other young men and women I know who have recently made the leap into service for our great country. While I am sure their parents are writing faithfully, getting more letters from home is never a bad thing.

If you do not know a servicemen or women in active duty, you can still write letters of encouragement and appreciation. Honoring those who are currently in active duty as well as celebrating the

My husband is a retired Air Force veteran. He went into the service at age 18 and spent 20 years proudly serving his country. During his tenure he served in five states and six countries around the world. Although he earned his Bachelor of Science degree going to school at night while in the Air Force, he did not pursue the Officer's Training program. After 20 years, hundreds of hours of training and education, multiple commendations and honors, he retired to a civilian world where he had to start over at a position little more than as a trainee.

When you hear my husband speak of his time serving our country, you can hear the pride and accomplishment in his voice. He feels lucky to have had the opportunity to serve, and never once have I heard him complain about how his sacrifice delayed his ability to earn a good civilian living. After serving as a Detachment Chief for more than three years, he retired as a Master Sergeant in 1996. From a military perspective he was near the to