God Bless America

Have you recently thought about the thousands of soldiers serving overseas right now? So many families have sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, mothers, or fathers that have volunteered to serve not once, not twice, not three times, but even four different deployments. These service men and women have served tours of duty in some combination in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as in various other locations throughout the world. They are serving years away from their families, friends and loved ones. Just this week, in the aftermath of the quake that devastated Haiti, America once again rose to the task of being the leader of the free world in contributing humanitarian aid and also by sending American troops. Yes, our soldiers are not just at war, they also serve selflessly aiding many other counties helping them preserve their way of life too.

On the calendar, there are a couple of days where we have the opportunity to remember and pay tribute to the men and women throughout history who have served our great nation. On Memorial Day and Veterans Day, we pause to honor those who gave their lives to defend our freedom. The freedoms and liberties we cherish on these days was paid for with the blood and sacrifice of countless Americans who answered their nation’s call to serve. Do we really need a day on the calendar to realize that we need to think about and thank our veterans for their service—past and present--every day?

I want take this time to express my appreciation to those who continue to serve our country with integrity and honor. You have held strong to the founding principles of our nation – pursuing liberty, justice, and freedom without regard for the cost to your personal lives. You are the greatest generation who continue to voluntarily serve as inspiration for us all. You understand the difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. Today, as our service men and women answer the call to defend our nation and provide freedom and stability to many ailing and troubled regions around the world, we find ourselves with a new generation of American heroes. These young men and women join their predecessors who made the ultimate sacrifice in pursuit of freedom and a safer free world. Please join me in celebrating our heroes today and every day. God bless them and America!