I’ve always thought that Veterans Day and Thanksgiving go well together in November.

Everyone should be thankful and appreciative of your country’s veterans. However, our gratitude should not be limited to one day a year.

Throughout our country’s history, the men and women of our Armed Forces have provided us with security and a quality of life we often take for granted.

I thought Wayne Bartlett, a retired master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, made that point so eloquently in his remarks Thursday at the Veterans Day program in Clanton.

We enjoy a relatively safe and peaceful way-of-life here in Chilton County, and there’s a reason for that, as Bartlett said.

“Our armed forces is the factor that has kept the evil over there, (which has) preserved the way of life we have in Clanton,” he told the crowd.

It’s a sentiment worth remembering not just on 11/11, but every day. Make sure to thank a service member for their service when you see them.

–Justin Averette is managing editor of The Clanton Advertiser.