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They gave; so should we

| November 10, 2010 8:00 PM

We ask everyone to give what they can tomorrow, Veterans Day.

That could mean giving a few minutes of your time to thank veterans you know personally. Maybe it means spending a few moments in prayer or reflection, expressing your appreciation for all our veterans have done and wishing safety for those currently serving our nation. Or it could mean even more.

Thanks to a My Turn column last week from teacher Nancy Mueller, we learned that local school kids are pitching in for a very special program. We'd like to extend the kids' efforts as an opportunity for you: It's called the Honor Flight Network.

"Honor Flight Network is a nonprofit organization created solely to honor America's veterans for all their sacrifices," the website honorflight.org says. "We transport our heroes to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to the senior veterans - World War II survivors, along with those other veterans who may be terminally ill.

"Of all the wars in recent memory, it was World War II that truly threatened our very existence as a nation - and as a culturally diverse, free society. Now, with over one thousand World War II veterans dying each day, our time to express our thanks to these brave men and women is running out."

Think about that a moment. In one week we lose more World War II veterans than the combined U.S. fatalities in Iraq and Afghanistan combined since 2001. That's not to diminish the sacrifice of modern soldiers. It's to emphasize the rapid loss to American society of yesterday's heroes.

Unlike some dot-coms with similar names, Honor Flight Network pays all expenses for sending our veterans back to D.C. This is where you can join the effort.

Individuals, service clubs, churches and businesses, you can drop off a donation at Coeur d'Alene Numerica Credit Unions for an account called Kids for Honor Flight. Let's follow our children's lead and donate what we can to this worthy cause. It's important not just that we always remember what our veterans have done for us, but that they know how grateful we are.