With Veterans Day fast approaching I'd like to take a minute to "thank" all of our local and international vets. For those of you who have never been in the service, you cannot nor will you ever know what these following words mean to us, the vets.

The definition of a vet is a veteran -- whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve, is someone who, at one point in his/her life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for the amount of up to and including his/her life. If you know a vet please take a few minutes to "thank" them no matter how you feel about the war.

And for those of you glad that our country did away with the draft or those of you who oppose this war, just remember it was the sacrifice of the vets that gave you the right to feel as you do.

Thank you, vets!

- Chuck Whelan, Valparaiso