According to the US Department of Veteran Affairs, there are approximately 23 million veterans in our country. A 2012 Gallup pole estimates roughly 13% of U.S. adults are veterans, including 24% of men and 2% of women. That is a staggering number. It’s a fair venture to say that there may be several people in our lives, crossing our paths each day, who we are unaware of their service to our country in the armed forces. On this Veterans Day, how will you honor one of these VIPs in your life?

Here at the CAF Red Tail Squadron we are proud to honor the history of the Tuskegee Airmen by working to ensure their legacy is passed on to future generations, so that their strength of character, courage and ability to triumph over adversity may serve as a means to inspire others to RISE ABOVE obstacles in their own lives and achieve their goals. The men and women who served as Tuskegee Airmen pilots and support personnel have remarkable stories to share, many of which we have been fortunate enough to capture and publish here in this blog. Life lessons abound, and they are to be cherished and cultivated in hearts and minds today, as relevant now as they were then.

Sitting down speaking to veterans of all walks of life yield some amazing perspectives on life – from the aging fighters of WWII to today’s volunteer forces facing a different type of warfare and landscape. Whether they have seen the battlefield up close and personal or protected our life and liberty here on the home front, their individual narratives are honored today, this Veterans Day. And now it is your opportunity to call, visit, write or ring a doorbell and thank the veterans in your life for their service to our communities and to our country.

We really should say it more often, but today – on this national holiday created to honor and remember our nation’s protectors – let us reach out to those in our families and in our community and remind them that we are thankful for their service and are interested in learning their stories. On behalf of the CAF Red Tail Squadron, we salute our nation’s armed forces and thank you for your service. And may the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen – America’s first black military pilots and their support personnel – be especially remembered and honored on this Veterans Day.

RISE ABOVE!

The CAF Red Tail Squadron is a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to educating audiences across the country about the history and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, America’s first black military pilots and their support personnel. Learn more at www.redtail.org.