A defining characteristic of our American republic is service and devotion. No group exemplifies these civic virtues better than America’s veterans.

On Friday, this Veterans Day, it’s more important than ever to remember the sacrifice our veterans made for this country. 

Every Nov. 11, on what was once called Armistice Day, we celebrate Veterans Day. Just over a century ago, when World War I ended, Armistice Day was the hopeful and annual remembrance of those who had served in what was hoped would be “the War to End All Wars.”

As our nation celebrates Veterans Day, my fellow veterans and I will no doubt hear multiple times “Thank you for your service” in brief conversations and in the form of a free cup of coffee or 20 percent off a meal. These well-meaning expressions of gratitude sometimes make us feel awkward and unsure of how to respond. “You’re welcome” seems too short, yet “Ah shucks, I was just doing what anyone would” seems a bit much. 

The day she took her life six years ago, her pockets stuffed with inspirational sayings on pieces of paper, combat veteran Deana Martorella Orellana went to a Veterans Affairs center and asked for help.

One year ago, on the day he stood before the Lincoln Memorial and shot himself in the head, Airman Kenneth Omar Santiago tried to get a counseling appointment on base.

And for months before he ripped off his helmet and ran into the massive rotors of a Seahawk helicopter to end his life, Brandon Caserta begged for mental health help.

William Dabney never liked to talk much about his time fighting in World War II.

"He didn't keep his uniform or any of those things. In other words, he was through with the service," says Beulah Dabney, who married him in 1951.

It wasn't just the horrors of war — which he had seen up close at Omaha Beach in France on D-Day. What bothered Dabney was the treatment he and his fellow Black veterans got when they came home.

Veterans and retirees will see an 8.7% cost-of-living increase in their Social Security benefits starting in December, the largest increase in 42 years, federal officials announced on Thursday.

The big boost reflects the rising cost of inflation throughout the last year. In a statement, acting Social Security Administration Commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi said the move will give beneficiaries “more peace of mind and breathing room.”

Social Security recipients will receive an annual cost-of-living adjustment of 8.7% next year, the largest increase since 1981, the Social Security Administration announced Thursday.

The spike will boost retirees’ monthly payments by $146 to an estimated average of $1,827 for 2023.

The hefty increase, which follows a 5.9% adjustment for this year, is aimed at helping Social Security’s roughly 70 million recipients contend with the high inflation that’s been plaguing the US since last year.

Social Security benefits are set to rise by 8.7% in 2023, the biggest bump in four decades as stubbornly high inflation erodes the buying power of retired Americans, the Social Security Administration said Thursday. 

The increase, known as a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), is the biggest since 1981, when recipients saw an 11.2% jump. It will increase the average monthly benefit by about $140. 

More than 64 million Americans collecting Social Security will receive the bigger payments beginning in January, the administration said. 

The Department of Veterans Affairs said Friday it plans to provide abortions in cases of rape, incest and when birth may present a danger to a woman's health — "regardless of state restrictions."

The big picture: The VA said the change was necessary after dozens of states banned the procedure earlier this summer once the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Welcome back to Forgotten Fact-Checks, a weekly column produced by National Review’s News Desk. This week, we explain Republican opposition to a veterans’ health bill, look at Politico’s White House PR, and hit more media misses.

Republicans Smeared as Cold-Hearted Veteran-Haters

Senate Republicans last week voted down a bill that would provide funding for health care and benefits for veterans injured by exposure to toxins. The measure failed in a 55–42 vote in the Senate after previously passing the upper chamber in an 84–14 vote.

For the millions of veterans sickened from their exposure to burn pits, their time for relief has finally come with the approval of a new bill to provide much-needed treatment.