ARLINGTON — Although Dec. 7 marks the anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Hall and Museum takes time during the day to honor the service of all American military members as part of its annual “Military Day.”

From 1-4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7, the Pioneer Hall will host yet another gathering of veterans and civilian members of the public alike, to recognize and pay tribute to all those in all branches of service, both those who have served and those who are currently serving.

A brief memorial ceremony will commence at 1:15 p.m., and a military display will again be available for viewing.

Previous years’ “Military Days” have fostered lively discussions among the veterans in attendance about the meaning of their service, and have occasionally even included observances such as the the POW/MIA remembrance ceremony, whose empty table represents all the military members who have been prisoners of war or gone missing in action.

Keith Reyes, who’s held membership in both Arlington American Legion Post 76 and Arlington Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1561, urged veterans and civilians alike to support their military members, regardless of their opinions about the wars they fight.

“They’re not politicians,” Reyes said. “We should honor our vets, from WWII and Korea on up through Vietnam and the current global war on terror. I’ve heard people compare 9/11 to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and I’m not sure that you can, but in either case, the saddest thing we could do would be to forget.”

The Pioneer Hall is located at 20722 67th Ave. NE in Arlington. For more information, call 360-435-7289 or log onto www.stillymuseum.org.