For more than 150 years, Americans have set aside a day in May to honor those who served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

In the late 1860s, Decoration Day was begun to honor the dead who had fought in the Civil War. It’s evolved into a day where we can reflect on the service of those who helped ensure our nation’s freedom and prosperity.

This year, Memorial Day falls just days before the 80th anniversary of D-Day, when Allied troops launched an counter-invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. The men who landed at Normandy in June 1944 are nearly all gone now.

According to a roll call of the more than 200 Butler County veterans who died in the last year, which is on Page D4 in this edition, 25 served in World War II.

Those men, among the last surviving members of what Tom Brokaw named “the Greatest Generation,” helped free the world from the looming threat of fascism and totalitarianism.

They earned our gratitude, as have the many, many others who donned the uniform of the United States, whether in peacetime or during war. Without their service and their sacrifice, our nation would be a very different place.

Veterans have earned more than posthumous thanks, though. While Memorial Day honors the dead who served, we must also remember to offer our gratitude to all veterans.

And veterans often need help. Figures from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration showed that in 2020, more than 5 million veterans dealt with some kind of mental health condition, from depression to anxiety to post-traumatic stress disorder.

On Memorial Day and on every other day, we owe the men and women who have served in defense of our country, living and dead, both our thanks and our support.

— JK