We see them on the news, fighting and serving half a world away.

We see them in airports, saying goodbye to their loved ones, not knowing just when they’ll see them again.

Sometimes, we see the flag-draped caskets of those who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice for their country — and our freedom.

But sometimes we don’t see our veterans and military at all. In the hustle and bustle of our day to day lives, it’s easy to forget about them, both those fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and those who serve on bases in every corner of the globe.

We pass them on the street without saying thank you.

We change the channel when we seem on television.

But

Right here in Pickens, the American Legion and the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, along with other groups, are working to fly the county’s veterans, at no cost to them, to Washington, D.C. to view the World War II as part of the Honor Flight project.

We know that times are tough for all of us right now, but if you have a few dollars to spare, consider giving them to Honor Flight. What a wonderful way to say thank you to our veterans of World War II, by helping them travel to a memorial that many of them have never seen.

Monday morning, the American Legion, the Fleet Reserve and the Knight of Columbus will gather at Sunrise Cemetery in Pickens to honor veterans who have passed on and those are who still with us.

Before heading to the lake, or firing up the grill, take a few minutes to join these groups as they pay homage to veterans and pause to remember the simple fact that freedom is never free.

Or just say thank you to any veteran that you know. It’s two simple words, easy to say, but our veterans can never be thanked enough for all they did — and continue to do — for us.