As I was driving home today; (another lousy, cold and rainy day here in Maine) I saw a group of about 10 people standing in a local cemetary. There were standing in the rain remembering someone. I don't know if it was family member, a friend, a neighbor, or who it was. It didn't really matter. They were doing what millions of Americans don't do or have never done; myself included. As I continued past the cemetary I noticed the hundreds of fresh new American flags adorning the graves of the other veterans who now lay in this cemetary. I thought of all the thousands of flags in the other cemetaries in the state and the rest of the country. I also thought how lonely they must be today. While millions of Americans have their bbq's and their picnics, these heroes lay mostly forgotten and, I'm afraid, largely unappreciated. For the past 42 years of my life, I was as guilty of this as anyone. Now I'm ashamed of myself for my selfishness.

Never again. I will remember and I will take the time to remember those who sacrified everything so we're able to continue to live in this great country. I will also give my 75 year old step father a warmer hug than usual this Veterans Day. He left high school when he was 17 to join the army and served in the pacific theater. How many of us here would've done that? Very few.

Tom Brokaw refers to these heroes as "this countries greatest generation". It's too bad were losing more and more of them every year. But it's even worse we're forgetting them.