A day to pay tribute
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November 11, 2013 |
By Congressman Raul Labrador
Today, on Veterans Day, we pay tribute to those
brave men and women who have served our nation
in uniform. We also honor the enduring service
of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and
Coast Guardsmen.
Whether during peacetime or war, at home or
abroad, their service has been characterized by
selflessness and a sense of greater purpose.
Every year, just before Veterans Day, the city
of Kuna holds a Veterans Assembly in which the
entire community comes together to honor their
local veterans. This year, I had the privilege
of attending this wonderful event, in which over
1,500 people showed up. The entire high school
was there, as were many residents of the Boise
Veterans Home.
It was humbling to meet true American heroes
whose courage and compassion was clear for all
to see. It was inspiring to watch young patriots
wave flags and read poems to the veterans,
thanking them for their service. The veterans,
in turn, seemed energized by the young leaders
of tomorrow. They could tell that the future of
our country is in good hands.
Very rarely do the generations blend together in
such a powerful way. That’s what made the Kuna
event special. It was the very definition of
what a Veterans Day event should be.
In my keynote speech, I noted that America is
the “Land of the Free” because we truly are the
“Home of the Brave.” We are the home of brave
service men and women who, over the course of
centuries, have answered the call of duty with
dignity and honor.
On so many battlefields, over so many
generations, they have showed the true measure
of American character. Whether they fought on
the beaches of Normandy, or the skies over
Midway, or through the mountains of Afghanistan
– they have protected our nation and advanced
the cause of freedom. That is something we must
never take for granted.
President Reagan once said, “Freedom is never
more than one generation away from extinction.
We didn't pass it to our children in the
bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected,
and handed on for them to do the same, or one
day we will spend our sunset years telling our
children and our children's children what it was
once like in the United States where men were
free.”
Those who served our nation in uniform
understand those words instinctively. They
didn’t need to read it in some textbook. They
didn’t need some politician to tell them. They
felt it in their bones.
And what they did with that feeling was turn it
into action. For them, it became a way of life.
A life they chose to live. And for making that
choice, we are eternally grateful.
We must also recognize that when a service
member joins the military, it’s not just a job;
it’s a family commitment to our country. For
each deployed service member, there is often a
wife or a husband left behind.
These silent patriots kiss their loved ones
goodbye, and send them far from home, often in
harm’s way. They run their households. And they
raise their children. And they do it without
knowing if their loving partner will ever
return.
Whatever accolades we bestow upon our service
members and veterans, we must also bestow upon
their families. America owes them so much.
In the nineteenth century, the French
philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville traveled all
across America to research his book, Democracy
in America. And in that book, Tocqueville
declared, “America is great because she is good.
And if America ever ceases to be good, America
will cease to be great.”
I saw greatness in Kuna on Friday. And that’s
because I also saw goodness.
I am so proud of our military men and women in
Idaho. And I am humbled by the opportunity they
have given me – and all Americans: The
opportunity to live peacefully in the greatest
country in the world. And the greatest country
that will ever be.
May we remember our veterans – and all that
they’ve given us– not just on Veterans Day, but
every day.
May God bless them, and may God continue to
bless America. |
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