A heartfelt salute to our veterans

The Ozark County Times last week asked readers and Facebook fans to send us photos of veterans to include in this Veterans Day salute. We planned maybe a half page of small headshots and invited our advertisers to support the little display.
Instead, Ozark Countians opened their hearts, as they always do when Old Glory flies, and sent us dozens of photos of the men and women who have earned our respected by the uniform they've worn and the challenges they've endured on our behalf.
It's way we love living in Ozark County.
Look into these many faces and see the heroes who stepped up when duty called. The brave, dedicated warriors who stood strong on that line between the folks back home and those who would do them harm.
These faces may be the friends, neighbors and co-workers we see every day, as familiar as the Ozarks hills themselves. Yet they carry a distinction civilians can't match but should forever appreciate. They may have known the endless rain of the jungle, the searing heat of the desert, the terror of life-threatening evil, the loneliness of a tent half a world from home, the ache of missing a child . . . No matter when or where they served, our veterans are heroes, and this is our small way of saying thank you.
If you look at these photos and wish you had sent your veteran's picture, go ahead and send it. We'll publish them as we space allows. Friday may be the official veterans holiday, but at the Ozark County Times, every day is Veterans Day.
We feel the same as that person who stood along the highway in June while the family of our fallen soldier, Matthew England, passed by on their way to his memorial service. The man looked around at the hundreds of people lining the roadway, flags waving, faces sad. "Here in Ozark County, we understand the cost of freedom. That's it, going by," he said.
Email your veteran's photo to sueann@ozarkcountytimes.com or bring it to the Times office. Include the veteran's name, service branch and years or conflict served, along with the sender's name and phone number.
All photos will be added to a photo gallery at ozarkcountytimes.com.