During this season of Thanksgiving, many Veterans may hear “Thank you for your service.” Those words were certainly expressed numerous times during our official State of Minnesota Veterans Day event held Monday, November 11 at the National Guard Ben Franklin Readiness Center in Arden Hills.

While we may appreciate the kind words, I don’t think most of us joined the military to be thanked. We felt a calling to serve. It may have been a family tradition, a chance to learn a trade or prepare for a career, or simply an opportunity to change our lives – for the better in most cases. Our service is most certainly life changing.

We can take pride in our decision to serve our state and our country, a decision made by Veterans who make up only about 5 percent of Minnesotans. We are a minority among our neighbors, a path few choose but many admire. It wasn’t always easy, but we gained as much or more than we gave.

Veterans form a bond with our fellow brothers and sisters in arms like no other. We have one another’s backs, whether in combat or years later in our civilian lives. We good-naturedly rib one another for their branch of service yet are committed to all.

And we remember. The good times and the difficult. Times that others cannot understand unless they, too, have worn the uniform.

And we are thankful. For one another. For the camaraderie like no other. For the pride we feel and the respect we have earned from the other 95 percent.

So thank you all for your service. Your state and your nation are forever grateful.

Know that the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs is here for you. Call us at 1-888-LinkVet, learn more by contacting your County Veterans Service Officer, or visit our website at MinnesotaVeteran.org.