Today is Veterans Day, a time for all of us as Americans to stop and pay respects to the men and women who have served over the years in defense of our country.
I’m proud to be the son and the grandson of two Army infantry lieutenants – one a World War I veteran, one a World War II veteran. They showed me and my brother and sister early on the values of service and duty that our troops embody every single day.
The men and women of our armed services have represented the very best of America. Four score and seven years after we declared independence, when our nation was coming apart, it was our troops who saved our democracy, our republic, preserved the Union, and liberated millions who were in slavery.
Eighty years later, our brave men and women fought in Europe, Asia, and really around the world to defeat enemies who sought to enslave freedom-loving people everywhere. America stood strong. Millions of people around the world owe a great debt to that Greatest Generation.
The list of nations and oppressed peoples who were liberated by the American soldier goes on and on. Think about it. All of Western Europe, South Korea, Grenada, Kuwait, Haiti, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan. And we’ve never had to look further than the Buckeye State to find patriots ready to answer our country’s calling and protect the values we hold dearest as Americans, whether at Gettysburg, at Iwo Jima, in Korea, in Vietnam or around the world today.
Yes, we live in dangerous times, and I’m thankful for all our veterans who have answered the call and made our country safe and protected our freedoms. Today, I hope you’ll join me in honoring all those brave patriots for their continued service. Godspeed.
