I’m not complaining, but after 23 years of column writing, it becomes increasingly challenging to find new angles for recurring events such as Mother’s Day or Memorial Day.

So, when it came time to write about Veterans Day (again), I sought inspiration by calling a dear friend who served as a track mechanic during the Vietnam War.

Larry said he has good memories of military service and genuinely appreciates what the Veterans Administration hospital system does for him now, but he didn’t feel he had anything particularly profound to share with his peers or with non-veterans.

A dud of a...