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George Grantland Jr. was born on the tail end of the Greatest Generation.

A self-professed street-wise and wary boy in South Jersey, he was a standout athlete and musician, a dancer known for smooth moves and charming smiles.

And during his senior year of high school, he joined thousands of his peers and enlisted in the U.S. Navy.

The story was one I knew well in childhood. Like so many others, my dad lied about his age so he could enlist early. He completed his coursework, but skipped out on graduation. He was assigned to an LCS and headed out to the Pacific theater. He spent more than two years on that ship and often joked that he spent most of his time on kitchen duty. A treasured wooden chest still holds his keepsakes from those days, trinkets collected during shore leave; photos with fellow soldiers; notes and memories.

Sixty years later, he reconnected with his shipmates and they began holding annual reunions – those once eager young soldiers whose lives took them across the country and around the world. And though their paths were diverse, they shared a bond that united them as strongly as blood.

My dad’s story isn’t unique. Spend time talking with any veteran, especially those from World War II, and you’ll find the similarities: a sense of service, a desire to make a difference, a commitment and an honor that guides their lives. And, I suspect, more than few who fibbed about their age.

Lt. Col. W.O. (Bill) Locklear was one of them. He was born June 6, 1920, but faked his birthday and enlisted two years early in what was then known as the U.S. Army Air Corps (it later became the U.S. Air Force).

He was navigator on a B-17. His plane was shot down on his first mission and he floated in the sea for four days with his flight crew – a pilot and two gunners. The four soldiers were eventually picked up by a passenger cruise ship where they were stripped down and hidden below deck until they reached port.

Despite the perilous first mission, he persevered and on June 6, 1944, flew three missions dropping bombs over the beaches of Normandy, France.

He often said they were “softening up the beaches for the land invasion.”

Lt. Col. Locklear went on to serve in the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War. He married and was the father of six children – five of whom were adopted. His oldest son, John Locklear, also served in the Vietnam War.

You may know his daughter, Susan Graning, and granddaughter, Baylee Graning – both of whom inherited his integrity and strength.

I’d like to think that all of us who are children of that Greatest Generation – and truly, children of veterans of any generation – inherited some spark of that dedication and commitment to service, thanks to their examples.

We celebrate those men and women each year on Nov. 11, marking Veterans Day with programs and parades. In a time when many in our nation are focused on divisions and differences, Veterans Day offers a welcome opportunity to reflect on virtue and valor.

Inside today’s edition of The Democrat, we tell some of their stories as well, honoring and remembering the many men and women whose service protects our freedoms. I hope you’ll enjoy reading them and, if you’re lucky enough to have a veteran in your life, take a few minutes to hear their story and say thank you.

Stacy G. Graning is publisher of The Democrat. Contact her at stacy.graning@natchezdemocrat.com.