Whatever the form of commemoration on this day, Veterans Day is set aside to honor our veterans. That is the second question to ask. Here again you may be surprised at the answers you get. A veteran is anyone who fought in one of the world wars or in Korea or Vietnam or the Gulf. I'm not sure if we count Panama or Somalia.
Many people do think of veterans as individuals who fought in a war.
Sometimes we think only to honor those veterans who actually fought in a war. We certainly should honor them. They paid the ultimate sacrifice of putting their lives on the line and of facing the horrors of war. They saw their comrades die around them and possibly suffered injury that continues to affect them today. They deserve our honor and our thanks.