Veterans are rarely difficult to spot in a crowd.

They wear their age with pride, each wrinkle a symbol of victory, each scar a badge of honor from a time which would define their lives, and in some cases, generation. Often, they wear some remembrance of their time in the service, whether it is an old medal or something that identifies them as a member of a local VFW chapter.

Those who are still able retain their rigid posture, perhaps fearing an old colonel is around the corner.

On Monday, the country pauses before the onset of the annual holiday insanity to pay homage to its veterans. Numerous schools have scheduled celebrations and the recognition for those who have served in the armed forces is well deserved. Veterans initially fought for freedom, and for the past two centuries have fought to preserve that ideal.

So many of the freedoms we take for granted would still be a political dream if not for the sacrifices of not only the earliest of veterans, but for the hundreds of thousands of young men and women who through the years left their youth on an obscure battlefield to preserve the ideals that define our country.

Freedom continues to be under attack from a number of fronts, and even from within. Without the continued dedication of our veterans, without their commitment to protecting freedom at any cost, our way of life would be jeopardized.

We salute all of those veterans who served, not for the glory, but for the preservation of Old Glory.

So don’t forget to thank a veteran for all he or she has sacrificed for our country and for each and every one of its citizens. Today, Nov. 11, is the actual holiday, but it will be celebrated on Monday as a national day of celebration. No matter the day, we all should celebrate America and offer a salute to its defenders, all of the men and women who have committed to wearing a military uniform.