Supporting And Encouraging Greater Support For Veterans Day

Floor Speech

* Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 89, a resolution encouraging greater support for Veterans Day each year.

* Today, I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep sense of gratitude to the millions of veterans living throughout the United States. Since before the founding of this nation, our veterans have been on the front lines defending our safety and our liberty. Their commitment to duty, honor, integrity, and self-sacrifice has not gone unnoticed, and I commend them for a lifetime of exemplary leadership on and off the battlefield.

* Veterans' organizations are one great example of the commitment to service all of our men and women in uniform possess. These organizations help create volunteer opportunities for our nation's troops when they retire from the armed services. Some of these include donating millions of man hours to the medical facilities of the Veterans Administration, sponsoring Boy Scouts of America troops all around the country, and awarding millions of dollars for college scholarships. These incredible volunteers give back to the very communities that they have already sacrificed so much for throughout their careers.

* Mr. Speaker, the veterans who have passed away before this Veterans Day must also be recognized and graciously thanked for their service. Our Nation has experienced many wars in a short history, but we have remained safe at home and abroad because of the valiant effort of the members of our armed services. The freedoms and liberty we espouse as a democracy have and will continue to be under threat. However, our veterans and active duty men and women are a testament to the preservation of justice and our form of government.

* The families of those who serve our country on the front lines also deserve the admiration and appreciation of each and every citizen. These family members often watch their loved ones travel to faraway lands in support of a cause and an ideal so much greater than any one individual. The support given to our service men and women by their loved ones is irreplaceable, as it is the foundation for the bravery inherent in those who labor steadfastly in the defense of liberty.

* Let us also make certain that we remember those individuals who are in harm's way today in Iraq and Afghanistan. Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom are successful because of the members of our armed services who are day in and day out giving their best to keep America safe at home and abroad. They have also sacrificed to secure liberty and democracy for other nations and peoples who desire to be freed from political oppression. Furthermore, let us not forgot those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, and let us say a gracious thank you to them for their willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice for liberty.

* I believe that the brave men and women who sacrifice for our present freedoms deserve our fullest support. Our Nation's service men and women represent the best our country has to offer, and they must be treated with the respect and honor they deserve. As we ask these courageous soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines--and their families--to do more and more, it's only right we continue doing all we can for them. Recognizing Veterans Day in 2009 is just one small reminder of the superior job our troops perform for America at home and abroad, and it is my hope that we will continue to do all we can and more for the members of our Armed Forces.

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