One of the undeniable virtues of Veterans Day is that it has not been subjected to the modern American craze for three-day weekends, regardless of historical significance. Veterans Day is rooted in Armistice Day, which is rooted in concrete history.

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, representatives of Allied and German forces met to formalize an end to World War I, then popularly known as the Great War.

Sadly, that did not turn out to be the “war to end all wars,” and the holiday was expanded to become Veterans Day, a day to honor all American military veterans, especially those who have served in wars overseas. It is appropriate to honor those who have been willing to put their lives on the line in defense of their country and the principles of freedom and liberty for which she stands.

It is also appropriate to honor veterans by assuring that they are not asked to be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice except in causes and conflicts that are worthy of their heroism, conflicts in which a clear set of criteria for victory and success are laid out, and a practical and comprehensible strategy for achieving those objectives are in place.

Which brings us to the importance of restoring constitutional controls over the power of warmaking which have been lost for more than 20 years.

Specifically, it is time for Congress to repeal the outdated and constitutionally dubious 2001 and 2002 authorizations for use of military force.

Respectively approved by Congress to grant the executive branch the power to wage war against the perpetrators of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and in Iraq, the AUMFs wrongly surrender the responsibility for defining the objectives and scope of military interventions to whoever is president at the time. That is inconsistent with the text of the U.S. Constitution, which grants Congress, not the president, the power to declare war.

These AUMFs have been invoked by the executive branch for two decades to justify interventions in nations and against groups without any coherent nexus to the original justifications for Congress to approve the AUMFs in the first place.

This is all quite significant, considering the tremendous and multidimensional costs of America’s post-9/11 wars. According to the Costs of War Project out of Brown University, these wars have resulted in over 929,000 deaths and the total price tag is now over $8 trillion.

Efforts in Congress to repeal or revisit these AUMFs have consistently stalled despite growing skepticism. We can only hope that, in time, Congress remembers its constitutional function and strikes these outdated authorizations.

However wise or foolish the policies of civilian governments, however, the bravery and dignity of veterans, especially in an era of a volunteer military, are worthy of honor and respect. Those who serve do so of their own choice. Today we honor that choice.

A version of this editorial was first published in 2009 in the Orange County Register.