Honoring Our Veterans

Veterans Day Speech at the George C. Marshall International Center, Leesburg, VA, November 11, 2014

President John F. Kennedy remarked that “a nation reveals itself not only by the people that it produces but also by the people that it honors, the people it remembers.” It is a privilege for me to honor and remember a very special group of people today – America’s veterans. As a fellow veteran I can think of no other place I would rather be today than at this ceremony.   Each year on this day Americans are asked to pause and reflect on the service and the sacrifice of all who have worn the uniform of the United States of America, both in peace and in war, and to remember their courage, honor and loyalty to the nation.   Whenever the nation has called – in times of darkness and danger as well as in times of peace and prosperity – America’s veterans have answered. It is no less so today in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world where we continue to defend our freedoms and those of millions of others around the globe. At events like this one across America we remember our 21 million veterans, and we recognize our serving soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coastguardsmen, and civilians who are answering that call to serve the nation. Both those who have served and those who serve today have underwritten our privilege to gather here and to live our lives without fear.

This year Veterans Day is particularly notable for three reasons: First, a worldwide Commemoration of the First World War has begun. Veterans Day has its beginning in the declaration of the armistice which ended that war on November 11^th, 1918. How fitting that this day is remembered for the common purpose of soldiers – not to celebrate a battle but rather to bring peace out of the chaos, crisis and carnage of conflict.

America created its first divisions in WW1, and sent thousands of doughboys “over there”. Like his fellow troops, then Major George Catlett Marshall served with courage and competence in the War. He was on the front lines as the operations chief for the 1^st Infantry Division, earning a Silver Star citation for gallantry in action. From the crucible experience of the War, Marshall carried away new lessons about leadership, about modern warfare, and about the sacrifices of the American citizen-soldier and the need for a national commitment to those who had borne the cost of battle. Those experiences would shape his extraordinary strategic leadership over the next four decades.

Second, Veterans Day this year is also notable because it is reinforced by the national commemoration of the 50^th Anniversary of the Vietnam War.  For two decades almost three million American Servicemen and women answered the call to duty in that costly armed conflict in Southeast Asia. Their largely unheralded service clearly contributed to the record of American courage and compassion. Fifty years ago many of those returning veterans received a dismal welcome home. But our Vietnam Vets endured and they prevailed. Like all veterans returning from the wars of America they found new work and ways to contribute to their communities. They have lived their lives well, they continue to give selflessly to this country, and they have earned the respect of us all. Today the nation remembers and honors them. For those Vietnam veterans in our audience today, we salute you and thank you for your service!

Third, this Veterans Day is about remembering and honoring those veterans who serve today around the world to protect our values and to protect the freedom of generations they may never know. From the Republic of Korea to Afghanistan, Iraq and in NATO bases throughout Europe, and from our forts and camps, and stations throughout the US, today’s armed forces are serving with the same commitment and dedication of all those who came before them. At this moment, on this American holiday, we are mindful that a Marine is risking his life for us on a joint US/AFGHAN training mission in the rugged terrain of Helmand Province. An Air Force crewman is flying a long mission bringing supplies to our Army troops in Kosovo. A US sailor is far from her home and family protecting freedom of the seas on the seemingly infinite Pacific Ocean. They do this for us; they do this for their country; they do this because, like so many of you here today, they responded to a higher calling, to preserve our liberty and that of others.

The military campaigns of the past thirteen years have been as dangerous and hard as any in the history of our nation. Thousands of casualties from both visible and invisible wounds mark this generation as no other given the increased lethality of the battlefield. At the same time more lives have been saved than ever, due to breakthrough advances in medical technology and by the competence and professionalism of our amazing military doctors, nurses and medics. The valor of our troops is no less exceptional and is reflected in the extraordinary stories of our sixteen Congressional Medal of Honor recipients from those two campaigns.

Many veterans face challenges. Thousands wrestle with post-traumatic stress or traumatic brain injury, veteran suicides have increased, too many are homeless; others need long term medical care. Many need assistance in finding employment. The good news is that there are thousands of caring individuals and organizations in the public and private sector who are ready, willing, and able to take on all those challenges, many here in our audience today. Hiring our heroes makes great business sense for America. Veterans are talented, innovative, focused, and disciplined leaders who can accomplish any mission required. All of us can find a way to assist our vets every day. That may be as simple as listening to a veteran’s story, learning from their courage, recognizing their sacrifice, or living your life by their inspirational example of service.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me close by bringing us back to the character of one of America’s greatest veterans. General George C. Marshall was described by General Colin Powell in these compelling words: “The quiet power of the man lay in his utter selflessness. It lay in the dignity that emerges from every photograph you’ve ever seen of him. It lay in the hard work and his immense personal sacrifice. It lay in his compassion, and in his wisdom. George Marshall practically defines those virtues. Yet he would have thought it odd if you had tried to congratulate him for these things. To him, those virtues were simply expected of a citizen of this country.”

General Powell’s words also capture the character of American veterans, who have given so much to this nation. They too did their duty simply because it was expected. We can never thank them enough, and we are honored to remember them on this Veterans Day!

 

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