Valor: A Tribute to Veterans

Gathered in twos and threes, the crowd waited. Some, an old military jacket; others, a baseball cap with the name of a Navy ship. The sun was on the right side of warm, a gentle breeze shuffling the leaves.

With rows of white marble headstones adorned by U.S. flags in the background, the speaker quietly began the story of a young private, Robert C. Burke, and his Marine Corps unit as they walked in the tall grass through the woods on Go Noi Island in Vietnam.

Told at a Memorial Day tribute — a time to remember those who gave their lives — the message of service, honor and valor is universal every day, but perhaps more so on Veterans Day, a time dedicated to thanking veterans for their service and sacrifices.