Thursday is Veterans Day, a time to salute all those who have served in the armed forces.

The holiday was originally known as Armistice Day, which marked the day and time that World War I ended in 1918 with the signing of an armistice by the combatants (the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month).

Veterans Day was created In 1954 to honor veterans of all wars.

It’s a bittersweet moment for members of the baby boomer generation this year as they honor their parents who served, members of the Greatest Generation. The veterans of World War II are being lost to the passage of time. As Gen. Douglas MacArthur said, "old soldiers never die they just fade away."

We want to especially honor our World War II veterans this year. This was the generation that set our country on a course of peace and prosperity and built a solid base on which we stand today.

Every day of our lives we should be proud of their accomplishments and their bravery. Each day, and especially on Thursday, take the time to remember our veterans, how they sacrificed their time and gave of their blood to protect us.

Take a moment on Thursday to hug someone in your family who served. Prepare them a special meal, listen to their stories and ask the Good Lord to bless them.

We celebrate the Fourth of July in a big way and rightly so, but without our veterans there would be no Fourth of July.

We salute them for a job well done.