After he and his wife passed, his daughters found a scrapbook. It weighed maybe 20 pounds and contained much of his wartime story: His draft notice. Mementos from the places he was stationed. Pictures. Newspaper clippings. His discharge papers. 

To his daughters, this book has been a peek into their father’s past. To you and me, it is a snapshot of our nation’s history from a man on the front line.

This week, we celebrate the women and men who, like Arthur Hiland, have served our nation and earned the title of “veteran.” We remember their stories and formally recognize their contributions to the moments that have defined the American spirit and our nation’s resilience.

We can never repay our veterans for these contributions, but I encourage you to take the opportunity this Veterans Day to actively demonstrate your appreciation for their service. Participate in your hometown’s Veterans Day celebration. Volunteer at a VA medical facility, the VFW, or a local charity that helps veterans or military families. There are countless ways to show your gratitude and respect.

Of course, there have been many instances where our nation has fallen short of giving veterans the admiration they deserve. Widespread mismanagement, data manipulation and subpar care within the Department of Veterans Affairs became a topic of national debate this year, and rightfully so. I was proud to help Congress pass a bill that the president signed to help address the VA’s most significant problems, but we must continue to implement this legislation and identify other areas where remedies are necessary. 

We also have work yet to do to protect the VA hospital in Hot Springs. This facility has provided critical care to thousands of South Dakota veterans, including Arthur Hiland. Like many of his comrades, he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. He received treatment in Hot Springs and spent his career giving back to the facility, working as a switchboard operator and in the accounting department.

While they’ll never know for sure, his family believes the scrapbook was perhaps a therapeutic exercise to cope with what he’d seen in battle. Earlier this year, they donated the scrapbook to the Library of Congress as part of the Veterans History Project, an effort to collect, preserve, and make personal accounts of American veterans accessible so we, too, could benefit from the story of a man on the front line.

This Veterans Day, please join me in honoring our veterans and recognizing the sacrifices they’ve made — and continue to make — so that our freedom, safety and independence remain secure.