I live in a city that survives and thrives in large part due to the numerous military installations located here, those being the United States Air Force Academy, Fort Carson, Peterson Field, Schriever Air Force Base and NORAD.

Despite the strong and unmistakable military presence of my everyday — the patriotic sound of morning Reveille and evening Taps often emanating from Peterson plus eardrum-rattling USAF Thunderbird flyovers directly above my house during football and graduation season, for starters — I unfortunately too often take for granted what veterans of every single military branch have done and continue to do for our country as well as other countries around the world.

Today, Veterans Day, I want to humbly and wholeheartedly express sincere gratitude for all veterans, past and present, and their family members, too. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your service.

As the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and National Guard lie at the very heart of who we are as a nation and what we stand for, filmmakers have turned to military matters as movie fodder since the beginning of movie-making history.

For Veterans Day weekend, I offer six recent military-themed movies on big screen and small for those craving films focused on the dedication and heroism, bravery and sacrifice of the men and women of the United States armed forces — selections beyond the perennially perfect SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, PEARL HARBOR, and FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS.