This Veterans Day, we want to say something simple to the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Thank you for serving our country. To the veterans who call Almaden Valley, San Jose and communities across Santa Clara County home, we’re grateful to have you as our neighbors.

Military service can ask people to spend months away from home, miss family milestones and take on responsibilities far from the people they love. It can also mean long hours of training, keeping equipment running, caring for others or doing work few people ever see. Whether you served close to home or overseas, in wartime or in peacetime, your service deserves our gratitude.

Honoring the people behind the service

The veteran in your life might be the neighbor you wave to on your morning walk, the coach who stays after practice or the relative whose military photos you’ve seen but whose stories you’ve never heard. Some veterans enjoy talking about their time in uniform. Others keep those memories private. A sincere thank-you leaves room for both.

We’re also thinking of the families and loved ones who carried extra responsibilities at home. You rearranged work and school schedules, kept family routines going through moves and long separations, and made room for difficult transitions. Thank you for the care you gave and the ways you showed up for one another.

How we can show our gratitude

If there’s a veteran you’ve been meaning to call, today is a good day to pick up the phone. Tell them what you appreciate about them. If they want to share a memory, give them time to tell it in their own words. A handwritten note or a quiet conversation over coffee can be a meaningful way to mark the day.

We can also follow through after November 11. That might mean checking in again, inviting a neighbor to a community gathering or giving time to a local organization that serves veterans and their families. Those everyday gestures are within reach, and they give us more chances to know the people we’re honoring today.

To every veteran reading this, thank you for your time, your dedication and your service to our country. We’re glad you’re part of this community, and we wish you and your loved ones a meaningful Veterans Day.