“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.”
– President Ronald Reagan
While the tragedy of the Fort Hood terror-murders are still fresh wounds emblazoned in our collective minds and consciousness, the men and women in uniform there as well as those wearing the Stars and Stripes the world over past and present are to be honored this Nov. 11 – Veterans’ Day.
From the Revolutionary War, solidifying our freedoms as outlined by the Founding Fathers in separation from Great Britain, through to the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, men and women have fought for freedom at home and overseas. Members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Reserves have served under the most extreme conditions and must be thanked for their service.
Although this is not a political tome, we the people of the United States owe a debt to the brave men and women who have answered their nation’s call. It is imperative that our servicemen and women be paid more than a simple living wage, be covered with medical and health care that does not leave them in rat and roach-infested sub-standard hospitals, or on the streets with no care at all, and provides for them an education to afford them the opportunity at second careers.
Veterans with a well-deserved G.I. Bill will pay it forward multi-fold by getting good jobs and not becoming a drain on the American economy. Such jobs can lead to veterans having the opportunity to strike out on their own, hire other job seekers, and keep them off the government dole.
My fellow Americans, say “thank you” to veterans you encounter, not just on Veterans’ Day, but every day. They will not only appreciate it, they have earned it.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and consultant living in Alexandria.
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