Every November, we set aside a day to honor the men and women who have worn our nation’s uniform. But for most of us, gratitude should not be something we circle on a calendar. It should be part of how we live.
Both of my grandfathers were veterans, and three of my four grandparents worked for Northrop, now Northrop Grumman, building planes for the U.S. military. Service runs deep in my family, not just in those who fought, but in those who built and supported those who did. They understood that freedom is not maintained by words alone. It is upheld by men and women who commit their lives to protecting it.
In recent months, our nation has been reminded again that courage carries a cost. The tragic loss of Charlie Kirk, a man who spoke boldly about faith, family, and conviction, shook communities across the country. His death, whatever your politics, is a reminder that standing firm in your beliefs still takes bravery, and sometimes, sacrifice.
That same spirit lives in every veteran who stepped forward when it would have been easier to stay home. Some came back with visible wounds, others with quiet ones, but all of them returned having carried a burden most of us will never fully understand.
As Veterans Day approaches, we are also seeing leaders like Pete Hegseth speak boldly about restoring the military to what it was meant to be. His message of returning to warfighting, military readiness, and purging politics from the ranks has struck a chord with veterans and patriots alike. It is a call to return to the basics of duty, discipline, and strength. Those are the same principles that built this nation, and the same ones we honor in this issue.
This month, you will hear directly from one of our own, Jonathan Mallard, our Director of Photography and a 16-year Army combat medic veteran. Jonathan has seen what service really costs, and his perspective carries the weight of experience that few of us can claim.
So as you turn these pages, I want to leave you with a simple challenge: thank a veteran. Not just on November 11. Not just this month. Every chance you get. And when you do, mean it. Understand the depth of their commitment and the years they gave up so the rest of us could live freely.
Real gratitude does not come from habit. It comes from understanding.
Jonathan’s words that follow are from someone who has lived that commitment firsthand.
Michael G Ethridge
Publisher
From the publisher: gratitude is not a calendar event, it’s a practice. For more on the brotherhood that forms between men who’ve given the same thing, read The Men Beside You. And for what those men left behind for the rest of us, The Things We Inherited says it plainly.
