November 11th is Veteran’s Day. There will be ceremonies at Arlington Cemetery and at the White House. Some government offices and banks will be closed. But, unfortunately, a great number of the men and women who’ve served our country will wake up today and feel forgotten.

Let’s change that.

I’m running this post early so that when they wake up on Tuesday the 11th, there will be a mass of loving messages from readers to our military personnel around the world.

Three years ago, I compiled a booklet of messages — some from online readers, some hand written — thirty pages of love that was duplicated many times and sent overseas. The reaction and gratitude still takes my breath away. And it’s the least I could have done. I hope this year, to make Cyber Hugs for Heroes a bigger deal. Please add your thoughts and good wishes below and let our heroic men and women know they are remembered.

Heroes are important to writers — especially thriller and suspense writers. But no matter how well we write a character, there is nothing that compares to real life heroes. Ordinary people, sometimes with extraordinary skills, all with enormous courage to confront horrific situations and keep us safe.

So often our unsung heroes in the Armed Forces are never thanked for the sacrifices they’ve made to protect us all. They receive poor pay, tremendous responsibility, dangerous accommodations, and they do it all with a smile. It’s now our turn to say, “Hey, thanks for being there, for serving, for doing for me what I cannot do for myself.”

So, to all our Vets, and also to those in clandestine service where there is no holiday — officers in the CIA, NSA, FBI, Homeland Security, Secret Service, and too many others to list, I’m sending you all a huge

THANK YOU!

Each and every one of you — whether on the battlefield or behind a desk– work as a team to keep us and much of our planet safe. This includes our allies throughout the world (Did you know November 11th is called Remembrance Day in Canada, Australia and Britain?). You humble us with your sacrifice. Our debt to you will never be repaid. God bless you and keep you from harm.

Please let our vets know how much they mean to you by leaving a comment below. I’ll spread the word to make sure they are seen.

(I will NEVER abuse your email — but note you do not need to leave your email to leave a message below.)