November 11th is one of two holidays in the United States that we have set aside to ensure that those that have served and sacrificed for this nation are never forgotten.  We are asked to take the time to say a simple ‘thank you’ to these men and women while not always fully comprehending their contributions.

For 237 years men and women have stepped forward and answered the nation’s call to arms.

From the bloody birth of our nation to a devastating war that would pit brother against brother and threaten to tear the country apart, veterans have served.

From a time when a cowardly attack at Pearl Harbor woke a sleeping giant to another, similar event 60 years later on our shores in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington DC, veterans have answered the call.

Not all have served in combat but they have served with distinction and honor.  These men and women are the real “1%” – the ones who have stood up for something greater than themselves.

They chose not to whine or cry about the hand life dealt them or their own failures and inability but instead saw an opportunity.  Our veterans did not point their fingers and blame others.  They instead donned the nation’s uniforms proudly and bettered themselves, served their fellow man and defended freedom across the globe.

The legacy of these men and women is seen not only in the peoples they liberate and protect but also close to home.

In my own family, my dad served in Guam in the Air Force.  My brother and I served in the Navy and I did a tour in the Persian Gulf.  At this very moment my nephew is ‘boots on the ground’ in Afghanistan.

My family is not unique however.  Many have seen grandfathers, fathers and sons serve our nation as the values they hold dear are passed on to subsequent generations.

The lessons of honor, courage, commitment and love of God and country are part of the very fiber that makes up our veterans and have formed the backbone of this great nation.  Whether they served at home or abroad, behind a desk or in a jungle or desert, veterans have made a difference and for that we are grateful.

Rudyard Kipling famously wrote:

God and the Soldier, we adore,
In time of danger, not before.
The danger passed and all things righted,
God is forgotten and the Soldier slighted.

Today we honor our soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and Coast Guardsmen and we thank them for their service.  It is our solemn promise to them that they will not be forgotten and they will not be slighted.  That is the least we can do.

Thank you to our veterans.