I'll say, up front, anyone who doubts all veteran's are heroes need read no further. But for the vast majority of you who do, I'd like to take a little different slant in my tribute to veterans on Veteran's day than you might see elsewhere. Most of the time, when you read tributes to vets, they're filled with the stories of those who've fought and suffered in combat and we see pictures showing the battle-weary combat vets which pointedly make the argument about the sacrifices veterans have made and continue to make.

They've fought in such places as Saipan and Guadalcanal in the Pacific, Normandy and St. Mere Eglise in Europe, or Pork Chop Hill and the Chosin Reservoir in Korea or the I Drang Valley, Hue or the Ashau Valley in Vietnam. Now new names such as Fallujah, Najaf and Anbar are added to those which tell the tale of all who have paid the price for our freedom over the centuries and deserve the acclaim we give them. They've faced circumstances that we hope our children will never have to face and many have paid the full and ultimate price with their service

However, not all sacrifices are made on the field of battle. While infantry, armor and artillery are the combat arms - the tip of the spear - they, better than anyone, know how important the team that makes up the rest of the spear are to their success on the battlefield.

For instance, those F-16s so vital to a close air support mission don't show up on target at the right time unless that young man flying the boom of a KC10 tanker at 30,000 feet in the pitch black of the early morning doesn't do his job. That sabot round from an M1A1 tank fired at a threatening T72 isn't there unless the truck driver hauling ammo day in and day out gets that ammo where it needs to be when it needs to be there.

Veterans are the guys like the cook who gets up every morning at 3:30 am and begins to prepare breakfast for his guys and gals. He's the young NCO below decks on an aircraft carrier who makes sure the F/A 18 he's responsible for maintaining is in perfect shape and ready to fly. She's the nurse who holds a dying soldier's hand as he takes his last breath, wipes away the tears, straightens her uniform and heads out to do it all over again.

He's the young guy in the fuel soaked coveralls who hasn't slept in 2 days gassing up yet another Bradley from his fuel tanker. She's the company clerk who makes sure all of the promotion orders are correct and in on time, or the instructor in basic training who ensures those he trains get his full attention and who puts his all into helping them learn important lessons that will save their lives. He's the recruiter who'd rather be where the action is, but does what is necessary to make sure he gets the best and brightest available for his branch of service. She's the MP at the gate who shows up every day, on time in a perfect uniform and does her job to the best of her ability and never complains.

He's the National Guardsman or reservist who gives up weekends with his family to be prepared in case his country calls. Or the Coast Guardsman patrolling our coasts and waterways in weather conditions we would never venture into.

Most vets have never seen combat in the sense we think of it. But every single solitary one of them has contributed in vital ways to the success of our combat efforts. Without those who support the combat troops, success would impossible. Without the wrench turners, truck drivers, fuel handlers, cooks, clerks and all those like them, the greatest military the world has ever seen is an "also ran."

It doesn't matter what a vet did during his or her service, it matters that he or she chose to serve and do whatever vital job they were assigned to the best of their ability. It isn't about medals, it isn't about glory, it isn't about what they did. It is about the fact that when their country called, they stood up and answered that call. They are all, every one of them, heroes.

To all the military veterans of whatever era out there - Happy Veteran's Day, and thank you for your service. For those of you who know a veteran, now you know why he or she is someone you should know.

Originally published at QandO. Please come visit us.