Tribune editorial staff

Today is Veterans Day, and many of us will be thinking about veterans of past wars - and rightfully so.

In today's edition, you will notice our Veterans Day 2003 section, featuring several local veterans of

World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam and Desert Storm. While we are proud of the accomplishments of these people - and today is the perfect day to recognize them - we do not want to forget about the current members of the armed forces.

The American soldiers serving in Iraq are facing dangers most of us could never imagine. Having quickly accomplished the goal of ending the regime of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, the men and women of our armed forces are now serving as peacekeepers in the country - a task that has proven deadly in recent weeks.

Our soldiers are coming under an increasing number of attacks and questions are being raised about the direction the operation is taking. But take a moment to think about what these men and women are up against - a nation lacking a true government and limited infrastructure and the tag of, at least by some, unwanted occupiers of the country. This, in itself, is a war.

The reasons we still have troops in Iraq have been questioned. Whether or not you believe the Bush administration made the right decision to send our troops to Iraq, our soldiers still deserve our support and appreciation for their efforts.

We need to remember these men and women have no input when it comes to deciding when or where to go to war. Most of them enlisted to serve their country, and they will go wherever Uncle Sam sends them.

Even if you do not agree with the war, you cannot dispute the fact that these men and women are putting their lives on the line for the things that benefit us all - a democratic government, free speech and the freedom to worship the way we want.

Today is Veterans Day and we want to encourage everyone to honor the contributions and sacrifices that America's veterans have made over the years - and those our soldiers continue to make today.