My dad served in the Army in the 1950s and though I'd known this all my life, it was only the last couple years that I realized how important and meaningful it was to him. How he took pride in the fact that he'd served his country.

As he told stories the last few years I remembered how he'd told them previously, but I'd never paid much attention. He was stationed in Germany during that time, and he told a number of times about when Elvis Presley was there and how excited everyone was about it.

Then I remembered how when I was little that he taught me how to count to eight in German. The language sounded very strange to me.

It hit me that he'd told me these things all along, but it wasn't until I was older that I had an appreciation for it.

For the last few years, or maybe longer, he'd participated in a Veterans Day program at one of the schools in Diboll. I saw pictures from it last year and realized how proud he was to be an example to future generations that it's good to serve your country and it's something to be proud of.

My brother-in-law, who was in the Air Force, has served in Iraq. Friends of mine from Angleton have served our country in the Middle East, one losing a leg, the other, a veteran Army policeman that went back as a civilian working for a private security company in Afghanistan, losing his life.

Recently we went through a lot of my dad's belongings that he'd kept over the years and came across some things from when he was in the Army. We found a helmet and some jackets with his last name on it. Also found some other supplies he used then.

My dad was proud to have served the country and I know he thought it was an honorable thing to do, and it's a shame it's taken me this long to realize how important it was to him.

At his funeral this past March I was given a United States flag in honor of his service. It has a special place in my house.

Even while I was teaching in Angleton from 2000-2007, despite the fact the school district took a holiday for Veterans Day, it didn't mean much to me. In fact, when the day came in middle of the week, it seemed more like a hassle to have a Wednesday off from work than it was a day to appreciate what so many have done for this country.

I don't feel that way any more and I'm guessing that some things I heard growing up have finally hit home. It doesn't matter how I, or we, feel about wars going on. Wars that are only footage on TV to a lot of us. There are people there fighting, serving and doing things for our country that we should be a lot more appreciative of. It's taken 43 years for it to sink in for me, but I wish it hadn't.

Thanks.

Edwin Quarles is night editor of The Lufkin Daily News.