Today we mark the 90th anniversary of what we know today as Veterans Day.

In 1919, one year after the armistice that ended World War I, President Wilson declared Nov. 11 as "Armistice Day" to honor all those who lost their lives serving our country during the "Great War." At the time no one envisioned that any subsequent wars could be greater or even more terrible. Many believed that there would be no other wars at all. As the United States entered the battle in the fields of France and Belgium in 1917, the massive conflict was often referred as the "war to end all wars."

But of course, all wars certainly did not end with the armistice of 1918, nor did the threats posed by rogue states and transnational terrorists. After World War II and the Korean conflict, former commander of all allied forces and then President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation changing the federal holiday to Veterans Day to recognize all of those who served in the U.S. armed services.

Over the decades, as aggressive tyrants were defeated outright or existential threats were outlasted, the one constant was the need for brave men and women to put on the uniform to protect our nation's people, and ensure our liberty and vital interests. Today there are more than 23 million Americans alive that were proud to serve our country and are honored to be called "veterans." That represents almost half of the total number of men and women who have ever served in the U. S. armed services since the founding of our country in 1776.

We are, at our core, a militia nation. Traditionally, we have had small standing armies and navies, supplemented by National Guard and reserve forces. During times of war, such as the American Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I and World War II, men would be drafted then quickly demobilized after hostilities ended.

It is interesting to note that in the 233 years of our nation's existence, we've only used the draft for about 35 of those years. That means the vast majority, and certainly all who have served since 1973 when the latest draft ended, have served voluntarily. Everyone who wears the uniform today knows that he or she could be sent into harm's way and yet they do so willingly. It takes a special person to raise his or her hand, to swear an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and to put themselves between our civilian population and those who would do us harm.

Because of that willingness to serve, we can never do enough for our veterans. And while there are many educational programs available and preferences given for certain jobs, we, as a nation, can still do more. Six years ago, there were an estimated 195,000 homeless veterans across the country, with more than 1,000 of those in Hawaii. Today those figures are believed to have dropped to around 131,000 and 600, respectively, but there are still far too many homeless vets, and the veterans' unemployment rate is higher than the national average in an already bleak economy. The number of veterans with access to health care is below the national average. Locally, the Lingle administration has opened new housing for previously homeless vets and nationally the Department of Veterans Affairs has created a system of 768 community-based outpatient clinics and 232 Vet Centers.

Because we respect our veterans and recognize what they have done for us, the American taxpayer gladly supports well-run programs designed to assist veterans returning from deployments with re-integration to mainstream society. We can do more and we will do more for our veterans, but I'd like to close with an appeal to the 115,000 or so veterans living in Hawaii, representing approximately 10 percent of our total population.

On this Veterans Day, I would ask all of our veterans who are capable of doing so to contribute to community service. Perhaps it is unfair to ask those who've given so much to give even more, but I'm asking veterans to lend a hand, wherever and whenever they're able to, just like they did when they wore the uniform. Fiscal constraints at state and county levels are making it tougher for governments to provide the same level of services that they had in the past.

Veterans have clearly demonstrated that they are dedicated and hard-working and they have shown great leadership and organizational skills. Mostly, they have shown a willingness to serve our nation and help people all over the world. There are few Americans better qualified to comfort the aged or sick, to mentor the next generation or to empathize with a fellow vet suffering from physical wounds or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. There are fewer still who can absolutely be counted on to help their fellow Americans.

Let's make this Veterans Day a time to recommit to the betterment of our communities.