November 11th in Commonwealth countries is known as Remembrance Day (Veterans Day in the U.S.). This is a day where we remember the sacrifices of the soldiers who fought in the many conflicts throughout the last century.

[ad#Google Adsense 300×250 in story]Officially, Remembrance Day is observed to mark the end of World War I, widely regarded to be one of the most gruesome wars in history, as soldiers fought for years between the trenches. WW1 ended “at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.”

Since then, Remembrance Day is a time when we recognize all military personnel and the sacrifices they made for our nation, regardless of the war they fought.

This is not a day of politics, but rather a day for us to say thank you to the soldiers who fight to keep us safe and free. This day affects each one of us — without those sacrifices our lives would be completely different, the freedoms we enjoy, and sometimes take for granted, would be gone.

Both of my grandfathers fought in World War II. Both were stationed in Europe and thankfully, both made it back home safely. I can’t imagine the horrors they witnessed as young men, but I would like to say thank you to them for having the courage to go.

To all of the military personnel around the world helping to keep us safe:

The Loop salutes you.

Jim