As Veterans Day nears, Shaw Local thanks veterans

Once again, Shaw Local News Network is pleased to present our readers with a special edition dedicated to thanking our nation’s military veterans for their service.

About 18 million Americans – roughly 7% of the United States’ population – can say they served in the armed forces dating back to World War II, through the Korean War, the Vietnam era, Desert Shield/Desert Storm and the Global War on Terror, and in the conflicts and times of peace between, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Of those 18 million, more than 500,000 live in Illinois, Census data shows.

Our nation’s veterans come from all walks of life and a range of ages, with some older than 100. While many of these veterans volunteered to serve our country, others were drafted into the armed forces and saw combat protecting the United States.

In this special edition, you will find dozens of stories on those who served, about who they were and what the military means to them, what they were doing before they joined the armed forces and what their lives are like now, and how their service shaped their future lives.

This edition includes a feature in the Daily Chronicle on a soldier who served in World War I, one whose story only came to light when his private journal turned up at an estate sale in DeKalb. There is another piece in the Sterling Gazette and Dixon Telegraph about an Oregon, Illinois, native who enlisted in the Navy, served aboard a heavy cruiser, saw action in World War II’s Pacific Theater, and celebrated his 100th birthday in March.

There is even an article, also in the Gazette and the Telegraph, on a soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War before moving with his family from Pennsylvania clear across the young and growing country to settle in Whiteside County, where a commemorative plaque was recently installed in his honor.

Even if you don’t subscribe to the Chronicle, Gazette or Telegraph, as a subscriber to any Shaw Local News Network publication you can still read these stories, and all the special veterans edition stories appearing in our various newspapers and on our websites.

In addition to these stories, we also have letters of gratitude penned to specific veterans. This edition also includes stories on organizations and events formed to help and support veterans, as well as ways to help and support veterans yourself.

Our staff of writers, photographers and editors worked hard on this edition, and their dedication and devotion is obvious in the resulting product. We are confident you will enjoy it.

So, with Veterans Day just days away, all of us at Shaw Media wish to express our gratitude to those who served.

Thank you, veterans.

• Joe Hosey is the executive editor of Shaw Media. You can reach him at 815-526-4387, at jhosey@shawmedia.com or on Twitter @JoeHosey.