More and more of the veterans are in wheelchairs and with breathing apparatus, and they've lost a lot of friends in the last couple of years. I see Medal of Honor winners, and more and more of them are infirm.

As I walked the beaches with the American veterans who had returned for this anniversary, men in their sixties and seventies, and listened to their stories, I was deeply moved and profoundly grateful for all they had done,

We were not just competitors and colleagues, we were friends. We had a lot of opportunities to reflect on this in the last year. It was a competitive brotherhood.

I've lost seven friends to smoking-related lung cancer. Each death was a long, agonizing experience.

Veterans do your part in informing colleagues and friends and put them in touch with VA services.

One of the advantages of being a national journalist of some recognition is that you come across high-profile people, and many become your friends.