Producers are struggling to make ends meet in an environment where costs for farm inputs have ballooned from inflation, interest rates have doubled and market prices are far below the cost of production. The outdated farm safety net they are operating under is doing nothing to address these realities.

The last time Joe Brindley saw his big brother, Kenyon, was in 1941. The younger Brindley recalled Kenyon’s generosity at leaving his siblings his uneaten piece of lemon pie before heading back to his U.S. Army Air Force assignment. While Kenyon regularly wrote letters to his family, those stopped nearly 80 years ago.

Veterans Day is a special time to remember and honor the sacrifice of these patriotic Americans who came from all walks of life but had the same sense of purpose – to protect and defend our country and our freedoms.

Veterans and survivors must file a claim before Aug. 9 to be eligible for retroactive compensation. Post-9/11 combat veterans discharged more than 10 years ago and not enrolled in VA health care must enroll by Oct. 1 to avoid a phased-in enrollment.