Another Veterans Day has come and gone, the parades completed, the memorial wreaths laid, and we’d like to applaud all who participated in the recognition activities. These events do not organize themselves, and without dedicated volunteers and the participation of schools and civic groups, they simply would not happen.

Particularly effective are the interactive events that took place at area schools recently to mark this national holiday. At both Biddeford High School and Massabesic High School, students had the opportunity to hear directly from those who have served, and at Biddeford, they even had a chance to ask them questions. This, more than any other effort, drives home the fact that the “veterans” we hear so much about are real people ”“ our neighbors, our firefighters, our teachers. Both schools’ student bodies heard from veterans of different eras, from World War II to the Gulf War, who were able to give them a different perspective on the military through the years.

At MHS, students even learned how women’s rights were part of the equation as women were allowed to serve in certain aspects of the war effort during World War II. Veteran Bessie I. “Betty” Fleetwood’s story of how she joined the WAVES ”“ Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service ”“ not only helped youth understand the military aspect of her service but also the discrimination that women veterans endured.

It’s helpful for people to hear from veterans from many different conflicts. For some, the term “veteran” conjures only images of now-elderly men who served in WWII, but the term has many faces in addition to theirs. It is the face of both men and women, young and old: One in his early 60s who was drafted and sent to Vietnam straight out of high school; another who left her family to serve in one of the Gulf Wars; a medic who braved the cold and the terrors of the Korean War; a guardsman who lost a limb to an IED in Afghanistan.

Many of them bear their scars silently, such as those with post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injuries, while others have to live with more obvious physical injuries.

For those who escaped such injuries, even reintegrating back into the civilian workforce and regular American life can be a challenge, so all veterans need our support beyond waving a flag during the parade. All have made sacrifices for this country, as have their families.

It’s important to remember that while Memorial Day honors our war dead, Veterans Day is for the living, and the struggles they face last much longer than this one day. When veterans’ issues arise on the ballot, consider voting in favor, and when opportunities arise to support your local veterans organization, ask yourself what you can do. When you see a veteran in uniform or sporting an identifying patch or hat, think of how you can convey your thanks.

These men and women gave up all the comforts of home to defend our country and spread the American dream of democracy ”“ and still more of them continue to do so today. It’s important for our youth to learn their stories, and that we say thank you to all of them.

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Today’s editorial was written by Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Kristen by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.