Veterans Day will be observed throughout our county and country over the coming days and rightly so. Formerly Armistice Day, the name was changed to Veterans Day by an Act of Congress on May 24, 1954. In October of that year, President Eisenhower called on all citizens to observe the day by &8220;remembering the sacrifices of all those who fought so gallantly, and through rededication to the task of promoting an enduring peace.&8221;

President Eisenhower referred to the change of name to Veterans Day in honor of the servicemen of all America’s wars.

Many have observed throughout our history the difficulty of appreciating what our Veterans have done for us, what they have sacrificed and lost. The horrors of war can only be completely known by those who observed them first hand; those of us who have not are left with images captured by historians and deep appreciation.

Several Veterans Day events are scheduled in our county over the coming days; a few of note:

Shelby County Veterans’ Day Ceremony & Tribute:

Nov. 6 at 1 p.m. on the courthouse lawn in Columbiana Program will be moved to the Columbiana United Methodist Church in the case of inclement weather. Guest speaker Gov. Bob Riley.

Thompson High School Air Force Junior ROTC and student body Veterans’ Day Ceremony: Nov. 9 at 8:30 a.m. in the main school gymnasium. Veterans are invited to a reception in the school cafeteria immediately following the ceremony.

The American Village Veterans’ Day Events: Legacy! Veterans &8220;show and tell.&8221; Bring a veteran to the meeting to create an oral history project. Veterans Day Luncheon Program featuring &8220;Rosie the Riveter&8221; 11:30 a.m. By reservation. Legacy! Kids Club members salute our nation’s Veterans. Bring a Veteran with you to the meeting to create an oral history. 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Each to be held at the American Village in Montevallo on Nov. 11.

We may be at a loss to fully grasp what our nation’s Veterans have given us; but just perhaps, we can take a step closer to doing so by attending events such as these.

We can learn their stories. We can tell them what their sacrifices mean to our families. We can shake their hands and we can thank them for a job well done