At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, World War I ended. It left 9 million soldiers dead and 21 million wounded. Five million civilians died from disease, starvation, or exposure. We thought it was the War to End All Wars. We were wrong. World War II followed only 21 years later. In that war, there were some 50 to 85 million fatalities.
And there were more wars and conflicts to follow.
We quickly learned that – as trite as it may sound – Freedom is not free.
Freedom and the defense of Democracy require a sacrifice of blood and treasure that not just any people is willing to give.
The veterans of this country have shown that they have been willing to sacrifice their time, their happiness, and even their very lives for it. Thanks to them, this nation remains the beacon of freedom that people around the world have been willing to die to reach.
The endless rows of white crosses in cemeteries around the world bear mute testament to their sacrifice. And hospitals and rehabilitation centers are filled with men and women battling the mental and physical scars of their service on behalf of this nation. We can never do enough to thank them.
In fact, thanks to all of them – those gone and those living – we can come together and exercise our freedoms.
The war for freedom is endless. But thanks to our God and our veterans’ love of country, this nation will continue to be the torch of hope and freedom of the world. God bless you all and thank you for your service.
3 comments:
Those of us who served in the military did so for many reasons. "The Greatest Generation" of World War II have been a great force in making the country what it is today. Korean War vets are often overlooked, but they should not be. Vietnam vets were blamed for the war when we came home. The soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen of the modern era have given us all "hero" status and for that we thank them. Veterans appreciate the demonstrations of gratitude that we hear and see in 2015. We are proud to have served a caring nation.
Chingau, dude! That last paragraph could be from the Taliban. Or ISIS.
Stay out of useless wars and fix the VA. Es todo. God ain't got shit to do with it.
Thank you veterans for your service to this great nation
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