On the 11th Day of the 11th hour of the 11th month fighting stopped and this day,  which began as Armistice Day, started as a celebration of the peace that followed the conflict of the great war (World War 1).  In the following years, it evolved into Veterans’ Day—a day to honor those who have served, as well as those who died in service to our country.

To paraphrase Thomas Paine, “Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigue of supporting it.”  Many have born that burden and experienced the fatigue of waging war in order to bring about peace.

This week on my podcast, Leadership Happy Hour, I had the great privilege to interview Captain Charlie Plumb, United States Navy, Retired.  Charlie Plumb flew 74 successful combat missions over North Vietnam and made over 100 carrier landings.

On his 75th mission, just five days before the end of his tour, Plumb was shot down over Hanoi, taken prisoner, tortured, and spent the next 2,103 days as a Prisoner Of War in an 8-by-8 foot cell. During his nearly six years of captivity, Plumb distinguished himself as a pro in underground communications. He was a great inspiration to all the other POWs and served as chaplain for two years.

His insights in this interview are inspiring and motivational.  What it made me think of is what I’m doing now, and every day to write a new story in my life of serving others.  What are you doing?

Listen to the whole interview here (for free) on Stitcher:

Days can pass like the wind and quickly turn into weeks, months and even years with nothing happening of note.  But in writing a story of service, something always happens.

A person is helped.

A smile is received.

A spirit is lifted.

Currently, roughly 1 percent of our population serves in the military. And as we consider the impact those individuals have had on the world, defending freedom and protecting democracy, I am reminded of the words of Winston Churchill, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

So today, to honor that debt, I would ask you to take time to honor service members, past and present, by writing a new story of service each and every day.  Lend a hand, share a smile, and pay it forward – with the people closest to you and with the people around you.  That’s what we’ve served for.