Letter to the Editor – Eleventh Hour, of the Eleventh Day, of the Eleventh Month
Editor:
Today is Veterans Day; you can see them all around you. They are mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, grandfathers and grandmothers. If you see a veteran on November 11, would you say, “thank you”? Because of the actions and great sacrifices that our veterans have foregone, we Americans are able to enjoy the freedom that we enjoy today.
Since April 18, 1775 in the square in Concord where 18 farmers stood shoulder to shoulder with their sons against 600 British Regulars and the shot was heard around the world. Some 48 million men and women have served in the United States military and roughly half of them are alive today. Every veteran has contributed to this nation and earned this nation’s permanent gratitude.
Many veterans believe that the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for ones country. They know that duty and sacrifice are more than words and they love America deeply. And they do not take life for granted because they know the cost of freedom, and they know the names and faces of men and women who paid for it.
General Douglas MacArthur said, “No one dreads war more than the soldiers because it is the soldier who must endure the hardships of war”. America was founded on the principles of liberty, opportunity, and justice for all. On Veterans Day we recognize the men and women of our armed forces who have valiantly defended these values throughout America’s history. These remarkable individuals have helped to make America secure and to advance the cause of freedom worldwide. Our veterans have answered the call of duty and risking their lives to protect their fellow countrymen, these patriots have inspired our nation with their courage, compassion, and dedication.
Our proud veterans have also helped to shape the American character. They have given us an extraordinary legacy of patriotism and honor, and their service represents the highest form of citizenship. So, that young Americans can better understand the commitment and sacrifice of these heroes in securing the blessings of liberty.
President Kennedy once said “A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.”
On this Veterans Day, let us honor veterans by offering the thanks of a grateful nation. We live in the land of the free because it is the home of the brave.
Thomas E. Tarantella
U.S. Army Retired
