As far as we are concerned, every day in America should be Veterans Day.

It is only because of our veterans that The Star-Spangled Banner yet waves o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave ... as Francis Scott Key wrote while standing on the deck of a British warship after witnessing one of our troops’ earliest demonstrations of courage and determination.

The observance of Cumberland Goes to War, a remembrance of World War II, has rightly paid homage to some of those who frequently are overlooked when we honor our veterans.

This includes the women and others on the home front who devoted their lives to seeing that those on the front lines had what they needed to continue the war effort.

One segment of the celebration was devoted to the Black Women’s Army Corps, which in spite of segregation and other hardships provided cooks, bakers, truck drivers, clerks and even officers who provided an invaluable service.

Many African-American men were serving at the same time in the Red Ball Express, an enormous truck convoy effort that kept supplies going to the front in Europe.

Even though they had demonstrated enormous bravery in previous American Wars — the Buffalo Soldiers were actually the first to take San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War — African-Americans generally were consigned to serving as stewards, truck drivers and in other noncombat roles during World War II.

Although it is most often thought of as a maritime rescue service, many members of the U.S. Coast Guard have served valiantly, and several hundred — the exact number is unknown — have died during America’s wars.

During World War II, 733 American cargo ships were lost, and more than 8,600 of the 215,000 men who served in the Merchant Marine died while carrying the soldiers and cargo that resulted in an Allied victory.

One of the greatest ironies of World War II is that the although the troops who died on those ships were considered veterans, the Merchant Mariners who died with them were not regarded as such until 1988 when President Reagan signed a law granting them status as American veterans.

Wherever and whenever they served, all who served honorably are American heroes.