The military personnel who have served in the past and those who are currently defending our freedom have helped to build and preserve the finest nation in the world.

For nearly 80 years this country has celebrated a very special holiday in November and the Town of Hempstead is proud to be able to recognize our veterans this Nov. 11.

Our veterans have bravely served this country and fought for our freedom and deserve proper recognition. Whereas Memorial Day is a day to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, losing their lives and protecting our freedom, Veterans Day is a time to thank and honor veterans for their service and to acknowledge their contributions to our national security.

These past three years we have rediscovered that we do have many American heroes and we are proud of each and every one of them. This Veterans Day, as we remember the heroes of the past, we should also remember the brave men and women who are currently fighting to preserve our freedoms.

I would like to encourage Town of Hempstead residents to use this Veterans Day as an opportunity to show appreciation to those who have served our country. Nov. 8-12 is National Veteran's Awareness Week. It is a wonderful time for teachers to invite a veteran into their classroom to speak or for neighbors to talk to someone in their community who is a veteran about his or her experiences. It's also a great opportunity to display the flag and show how much these men and women mean to us.