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Veteran Affairs

2008-12-01 14:19:00

Honoring those who died for us

Question: What did you do for Veterans day this year?

Answer: On November 11, l spent the day in a small town. To fully appreciate a holiday like Veterans Day or Memorial Day do it in a small town. I gave a Veterans Day speech in Haysville, KS and after the speech had a luncheon at the VFW Hall. People know what you are talking about in a small town. Oh sure the traffic doesn’t stop, it still drowns out some of your words. But on the whole it was a pleasant experience, in a small town. This is the speech I gave. There were about two hundred people present, local politicians, a high school band, and aging veterans like myself. There was a group of the Tornado Alley Young Marines present to do an important part of the ceremony. Today, our nation pays tribute to those veterans, over 25 million have worn the uniform of the United States of America. Each of these veterans took an oath to defend our country. On Veterans Day, we remember the troops who left America’s shores but did not live to be thanked as veterans. On this Veterans Day, we honor the courage of those who were lost in the current struggle. We think of the families who lost a loved one; we pray for their comfort, and we remember the men and women in uniform whose fate is still undetermined -- Our prisoners of war and those missing in action. America must never forget their courage, and we will not stop searching until we have accounted for every soldier and sailor and airman and marines missing in the line of duty. When it was first observed, Veterans Day was known as Armistice Day, in recognition of the end of World War I on November 11, 1918. That particular observance occurred on November 11, 1921, at Arlington National Cemetery and was marked by the burial of the Unknown Soldier from World War I. As the years went by and more Americans were called upon to serve in the military and defend the American way of life, Armistice Day finally became known as Veterans Day. Veterans Day very simply recognizes the service of all veterans, regardless of when or where they may have served. Unfortunately, this day is sometimes just another day, and is overlooked and ignored by many. Too many of our citizens who enjoy the liberty others have fought to preserve, take the defenders of freedom for granted. Veterans Day is an opportunity for all Americans to celebrate. Veterans Day is meant to be more than a day filled with somber ceremony. It should be equally observed with gratitude and joy for all the good things that we enjoy as citizens of the greatest nation on earth. It should be a day that we give appropriate thanks and recognition to those who have earned it. I have been asked to explain what Veterans Day means to veterans. As a veteran, you would think that I would have the ability to relate that to you very easily without much thought or deliberation. But to be honest with you, as I was preparing these remarks and thinking, I became lost in thought and memory. I thought of my own experiences in the military, thought of old friends and missing comrades. I thought long and hard about just what it is that links veterans together what it is we share not only on Veterans Day, but every day. I can tell you that those who have served in the military share common values. There is a special bond that has been forged by common experience while serving our nation. and although veterans differ in many ways race, creed, gender and political persuasion we equally possess love of God, home, family and country. I believe that each of us has a deeper appreciation for the gift of freedom that has been provided to us. Veterans know and understand that as Americans, we are fortunate when compared to the rest of the world. I look to my comrades on Veterans Day and take pride in knowing that none of us had a burning desire to go to war, but had a desire to protect the peace. we served with pride to provide you and me what others in the world only dream of: freedom. Throughout the history of our nation, veterans sacrificed, yet endured, because they believed in justice and fairness and the American way of life. The price of freedom is very high. our nation has survived and prospered only because of the selfless sacrifice of millions of Americans who were willing to give up the comfort and security of their homes and families to endure the hardships that come with military service. More than a million paid the ultimate price. Their sacrifice can never be ignored or forgotten. If their deeds and action become superfluous, so shall we as a nation. Veterans Day is a day of reflection. Upon reflection, it’s easier to realize that we are unique as a people and as a nation because of our freedom. Veterans have earned our freedoms for us. It exists because of the men and women who placed their lives on the line when our country needed them. Today, just as in the past, men and women of our armed forces continue to defend this republic from a different but equally dangerous enemy than those of the past. The men and women of our military will carry on the traditions of duty, honor, courage, service and patriotism the same way countless others before them have. In closing, I would say to you that your freedom is not free. Value it and cherish it for the extraordinary thing it is. And if you love your freedom, thank a veteran for it. Thank you for coming. May God bless our veterans, May God bless our troops in harm’s way, and May God continue to bless the United States of America. And yes I know that the first Veterans Day Parade was in Emporia, KS.