On Veterans Day we honor veterans, not war. Whatever your views about the rightness or wrongness of war or the particular wars we are engaged in, let us distinguish between the veterans and the policies that sent them to war. Veterans know war is not noble or heroic: It is ugly, violent, and destructive.

The reason we honor our veterans is because of their willingness to sacrifice. Veterans do not make the decisions that determine whether we go to war as a nation. Politicians do, and the people who elect them.

The price that war exacts is both costly in resources and fierce in its sacrifice of life and in wounds both physical and psychological. There are veterans and their families who are paying the price every day as they live and cope with physical disabilities. There are World War II veterans who cannot afford to pay for their medication and who are on waiting lists because the Veterans Affairs medical system is overwhelmed and cannot provide primary health care. There are homeless veterans and incarcerated veterans who for a myriad of reasons have found themselves on the margins of society.

Most veterans who serve are young men and women in their early adulthood and late teens. In war, it is most often they and their families who are most directly affected and who will live with the consequences. They deserve and have earned the benefits they receive. There is a moral obligation on the part of the nation to assist those who served on our behalf in whatever way they need.

Veterans are a diverse group with rich experience and have a lot to contribute. You will find them in all walks of life. These veterans live and work in our community. They are our neighbors and family members.

There are hundreds of veterans and family members now attending classes at Oregon State University and Linn-Benton Community College. The woman barista at the Beanery may have served in Iraq, as well as the dentist you go to.

Talk to a veteran this Veterans Day. Ask him or her to talk with you about their experiences. In doing so, you will give honor to their service.

Mike DeMaio of Corvallis served in the U.S. Marine Corps in Vietnam, from 1967 to 1968 as a squad leader with G Company, Second Battalion, Fourth Marines. He is a retired therapist and worked for 17 years as trauma counselor at the Veterans Outreach Center in Salem. He can be reached at 541-758-5649,or by e-mail at mikeangyo@gmail.com.