Cold War Veterans Blog

Veterans Day Words from VFW

VETERANS DAY 2007



(GREETINGS)



I WANT TO BEGIN BY EXPRESSING MY GRATITUDE TO YOU ALL FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK HERE TODAY.

TODAY IS THE ONE DAY OUT OF THE YEAR THAT WE SHOULD PROUDLY PROCLAIM OUR STATUS AS AN AMERICAN VETERAN. FROM THE JUNGLES OF VIETNAM TO THE ROCKY STEEPS OF AFGHANISTAN, FROM BASTOGNE TO BAGHDAD, FROM PORK CHOP HILL TO THE PERSIAN GULF, OUR VETERANS HAVE BORNE THE COST OF AMERICA’S WARS — AND HAVE STOOD WATCH OVER AMERICA’S PEACE. FOR EVERY SINGLE MAN AND WOMEN WHO HAS DONNED A UNITED STATES MILITARY UNIFORM, AND BY VIRTUE OF YOUR SERVICE, TODAY IS YOUR DAY TO STAND TALL AND BE RECOGNIZED.

VETERANS DAY HOLDS MEANINIGFUL SIGNIFICANCE TO EVERY VETERAN. FOR SOME, IT’S A DAY TO REFLECT ON THEIR SERVICE OR TO REMEMBER A FALLEN COMRADE, BUT FOR ALL OF US IT REMAINS A DAY TO BE PROUDLY COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT WHEN EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US TOOK AN OATH TO DEFEND AND PROTECT AMERICA — WE UPHELD THAT OATH WITH THE UTMOST HONOR AND DECENCY.

TODAY OUR NATION HONORS THE CONTRIBUTIONS AND SACRIFICES OF THE NEARLY 25 MILLION VETERANS LIVING TODAY WHO HAVE SERVED OUR COUNTRY IN THE NAME OF LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
IN THE PAST, OUR NATION HAS BEEN CONFRONTED AND OUR FREEDOMS THREATENED BY A HOST OF CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGERS. BUT AMERICA’S CITIZENRY COULD ALWAYS BE ASSURED THAT OUR FREEDOMS AND VALUES WERE GUARDED AND PROTECTED BY A GREATLY DETERMINED AND HIGHLY DEDICATED MILITARY.

WITH THE DAWN OF THE NEW MILLENIUM, CAME AN UNPROVOKED AND COWARDLY ATTACK UPON OUR SHORES. AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THAT INFAMOUS DAY, YET ANOTHER GENERATION OF AMERICA’S FINEST HAS BEEN CALLED UPON. THEY HAVE ANSWERED THE CALL TO DUTY WITH MAGNIFICENT COURAGE AND HONOR.

NEARLY ONE MILLION TROOPS HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED TO IRAQ OR AFGHANISTAN SINCE 2001 — HARDLY A DAY GOES BY THAT OUR FAMILY MEMBERS, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS WHO ARE IN THE MILITARY ARE NOT BEING DEPLOYED TO THE WARS OR RETURNING FROM THEM.

AS IN THE PAST, A NEW GENERATION IS DOING THEIR UTMOST, AND IN MANY CASES GIVING THEIR SUPREME ALL, NOT FOR GLORY, NOT FOR HONOR, BUT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO FOLLOW.

EVERY U.S. SERVICEMEMBER HAS DONE ALL THAT COULD BE EXPECTED FROM THEM, AND MORE. FOR THOSE WHO MAY ARGUE AGAINST OUR TROOPS’ CAUSE, THEY SHOULD FIRST GIVE THANKS TO THEM FOR PROTECTING THEIR RIGHT TO SPEAK OUT. THEN, WE WILL LET HISTORY SPEAK BACK TO THEM AS HISTORY HAS PROVEN THE VALUE OF EACH PASSING GENERATION OF VETERANS AND THE RECTITUDE OF THEIR SERVICE.

COLLECTIVELY, THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF AMERICA’S VETERANS HAVE RESONATED FAR BEYOND BEACHHEADS, JUNGLES AND DESERT SANDS…WELL BEYOND THEIR WARS OR DUTY STATIONS. WHEREAS GALLANT SAILORS, INTREPID AIRMEN, AUDACIOUS SOLDIERS, MARINES AND COASTGUARDSMEN CONQUERED THE SUM TOTAL OF THEIR FEARS AND ENDURED INCONCEIVABLE MISERIES, ALL FOR THE SAKE OF BELIEF AND IN DOING THIS THEY HAVE ESTABLISHED A STANDARD OF COURAGE AND HONOR FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD TO SEE.

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT ON THIS DAY WE TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP ALIVE THE MEMORIES, SACRIFICES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF OUR NATION’S VETERANS, BUT ALSO MAKE USE OF IT TO SEIZE THE MOMENT, EMBRACE THIS OCCASION, AND USE IT TO EDUCATE FUTURE GENERATIONS, THE PUBLIC AND ELECTED OFFICIALS AS IT PERTAINS TO THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, IMPORTANCE AND NEEDS OF OUR NATIONS’ VETERANS.

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE DO THIS, ESPECIALLY NOW AFTER OUR SERVICEMEMBERS ARE FOUR YEARS INTO WAGING WAR ON TERROR. NEARLY SIXTY THOUSAND TROOPS HAVE BEEN WOUNDED OR ARE PLAGUED BY DISEASE OR ILLNESS RESULTING FROM THEIR MILITARY SERVICE -- AS WELL AS COUNTLESS OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN TREATED AND DEEMED FIT TO RETURN TO DUTY.

THEY HAVE PREVAILED AGAINST OVERWHELMING ODDS EVERYDAY WITHOUT EXCEPTION, REGARDLESS OF TASK. WE, WHO HAVE BENEFITTED FROM THEIR SIGNIFICANT SACRIFICE, MUST BE TOTALLY COMMITTED IN OUR OBLIGATION TO REMEMBER THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIFE OR BEAR THE SCARS, AS A LASTING MEMORY OF THEIR SERVICE. WE WOULD BE EXCEEDINGLY REMISS IF OUR CONCERN DIDN’T EXTEND NOT ONLY TO THOSE WHO HAVE BORNE THE BURDEN OF PRESERVING OUR WAY OF LIFE BUT TO THEIR CHILDREN, WIDOW AND ORPHANS AS WELL.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DEFINES OUR MILITARY AS THE BEST IN THE WORLD IS THE CERTAIN KNOWLEDGE OF EACH SOLDIER, SAILOR, AIRMAN, AND MARINE THAT THEY CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON THEIR COMRADES SHOULD THEY NEED HELP -- THAT THEY WILL NEVER BE ABANDONED. THAT CERTAIN KNOWLEDGE SHOULD NOT END WHEN THEIR MILITARY SERVICE IS CONCLUDED, RATHER THEY NEED TO BE SECURE IN KNOWING THAT WE, AS VETERANS ADVOCATES, WILL ENSURE THEY WILL NEVER BE FORSAKEN UPON THEIR RETURN TO THE NATION THEY SERVED SO ADMIRABLY.

WE MUST CONTINUE TO EDUCATE OUR LAWMAKERS AND WE MUST BE RELENTLESS IN OUR PURSUIT OF ADEQUATE CARE FOR VETERANS. WE WILL NOT CONDONE, NOR WILL WE ABIDE, INDIFFERENCE OR LACK OF MEANINGFUL ACTION. WE WILL NOT STAND IDLY BY WHILE AGAIN, A NEW GENERATION OF AMERICA’S VETERANS ARE FORCED TO CONFRONT MANY OF THE SAME ISSUES RELATING TO MEDICAL CARE, EMPLOYMENT OR EDUCATION PREVIOUS GENERATIONS OF VETERANS WERE BURDENED WITH.

THE NEEDS OF TODAY’S GENERATION OF VETERANS COMES AS NO GREAT OR NEW REVELATION TO US. WE KNOW AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THOSE WHO SHOULDER THE BURDEN OF ENSURING OUR NATION’S FREEDOMS SHOULD NOT BE CONSIGNED TO A LIFE OF UNFULFILLED PROMISES, NOR SHOULD THEY SUFFER AT THE HANDS OF INDIFFERENT POLITICIANS OR BUREAUCRATS. WE OFFER OUR VIEWS TO MAKE THE TASK EASIER AND TO MAKE THE CORRECT PATH MORE VISIBLE.

WE WILL FIGHT AS HARD TO ADVOCATE ON THEIR BEHALF AND OF THEIR FAMILIES’ AS THEY HAVE FOUGHT TO DEFEND OUR NATION. TO DO ANYTHING LESS WOULD ONLY SERVE TO DEMEAN AND DIMINISH THEIR SERVICE AND SACRIFICE — AND THAT, COMRADES WOULD BE THE GREATEST TRAVESTY WE COULD BESTOW UPON THEM. WE OWE THEM MORE THAN THAT AND WE WILL LIVE UP TO OUR OBLIGATION TO EACH AND EVERY INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS EVER PUT ON THE UNIFORM OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

WE MUST TAKE WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED IN BATTLE AND IN DEFENDING OUR COUNTRY AND APPLY IT TO THE PRESENT AND TO THE FUTURE — THAT IS THE LEGACY OF VETERANS DAY. EACH OF US HAS A ROLE IN CARRYING THAT LEGACY FORWARD AND ENSURING THAT THOSE WHO SERVE AFTER US ARE ABLE TO DO SO WITH THE SAME SENSE OF HONOR AND INTEGRITY THAT WE DID. A SOLDIER’S WORK IS NEVER DONE AND THIS IS OUR DUTY AS VETERANS FOREVER SERVING THOSE WHO DESERVE IT MOST.

ON THIS DAY OUR COUNTRY GIVES THANKS FOR THE SERVICE OF AMERICA’S VETERANS AND TO THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. COMRADES, IF YOU ARE EVER ASKED, “JUST WHAT IS IT VETERANS HAVE DONE?” I WOULD RESPOND SIMPLY WITH THIS: AROUND THE WORLD, VETERANS HAVE BROKEN THE SHACKLES OF TYRANNY, UNLOOSED THE CHAINS OF BONDAGE AND EMANCIPATED ENTIRE NATIONS FROM OPPRESSION. VETERANS HAVE LIFTED THE CLOAK OF DARKNESS, OPPRESSION AND DESPERATION AND VANQUISHED CRUELTY AND TOTALITARIANISM AND REPLACED IT WITH AN UNEXTINGUISHABLE LIGHT THAT IS THE SPIRIT OF FREEDOM AND LIBERTY.

I HOPE THAT TODAY EVERY AMERICAN HOLDS A DEEPER APPRECIATION OF WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE SERVED IN THE ARMED FORCES — SO TODAY, AS OUR MIGHTY FLAG WAVES HIGH ABOVE AND OUR HEARTS SWELL WITH PRIDE, WE THANK ALL OF OUR NATION’S VETERANS FOR THEIR DEDICATION AND WILLINGNESS TO SERVE OUR GREAT COUNTRY.

GOD BLESS ALL OF OUR MEN AND WOMEN OF THE ARMED FORCES, OUR VETERANS AND ALL OF THEIR FAMILIES. GOD BLESS AMERICA.


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