I’m a bit late in writing this column.

  For starters, it’s been a while since my last one, and I missed being able to do that.

  I also wanted to write something about Memorial Day. Sure, the holiday will have passed by the time readers see this. Still, a few recent occurrences compel me to forge ahead with my task.

  A couple weeks ago, while eating lunch at a restaurant, I saw an elderly couple enter the dining room area with trays of food in hand. The man was wearing a baseball cap with lettering and pins signifying that he was a military veteran.

  If I remember correctly, he served in Korea.

  The man’s identity was a mystery to me, and I can’t recall much else about his appearance. But the presence of that hat on his head spoke to me, and I knew I had to say something to him.

  I finished my meal a few minutes later and got up to leave. Upon passing by the man, I said, “Thank you for your service,” thus eliciting a somewhat surprised look on his face.

  He said, “You’re welcome” and I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, as the lady he was with – presumably his wife – smiled in apparent appreciation.

  There wasn’t anything earth-shattering about this moment. It was just another day for the few people who were there. There wasn’t even anyone else in the dining area of the restaurant at the time.

  I just wanted to honor the man’s willingness to risk his life for a bunch of people in this country that he never met.

  Still, I was struck by his apparent surprise at being recognized in this way. I couldn’t help thinking, why should he have been surprised at all?

  He’s earned the right to be welcomed with open arms of gratitude wherever he goes.

  The same goes for anyone who served in the military, whether in wartime or not.

  But, the sad reality is, we encounter military veterans all the time who don’t get the recognition or appreciation they deserve.

  A few days after the aforementioned encounter, I had similar interactions – within seconds of each other – with two veterans wearing those same kinds of hats as they were coming out of Walmart. I told them I appreciated their service, and each of them responded with a smile and a “thank you” as well.

  I didn’t know their names, and I’ll probably never see them again, but that’s hardly the point.

  Certainly, Memorial Day is designed to honor military personnel who were killed in the line of duty or have otherwise passed on. That’s the way it should be – and, incidentally, much more important than cookouts or afternoons at the lake.

  I never want to minimize that sacrifice, and we should all be forever grateful for what they’ve done to protect our freedom. I just don’t see why we should wait until they’re gone to thank them for their service and sacrifice.

  Not every veteran wears a hat, a uniform or anything else that would identify themselves, except the honor with which they served their country. But when we do find one, we should thank him or her for everything they do.

  On second thought, maybe I’m not late with my column.   After all, thanking the military for their service is the kind of thing that shouldn’t be limited to one day a year.