E-Newsletter: Thank A Veteran Today

Statement

Dear Friends,

Veteran's Day is a time to recognize the accomplishments, the sacrifice, and the courage of our nation's military veterans. On this day of recognition we are asked not just to appreciate, but also to contemplate what America's veterans have done for us, for our country, and for the world. We should be proud of the part Kansas veterans have played in that history. On this day especially, we must pause, reflect, and appreciate all they have done for us.

When I meet the Kansas World War II veterans who make their way to the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., through the Honor Flight program, I'm struck by the serenity and humility they bring with them. They have wonderful stories and, cumulatively, their efforts saved the world.

They aren't the only amazing veterans hailing from Kansas. During the Korean War, Father Emil Kapaun, a Kansan, risked life and limb to protect his fellow soldiers both on the battlefield and in the prisoner of war camps that ultimately took his life. Despite having already served in the Burma theater of World War II, Father Kapaun re-joined the Army so he could minister to the sick and wounded. When he and his fellow soldiers were captured and treated terribly as prisoners of war, Father Kapaun stole food and medicine to keep his men alive. He tended to their spirits by saying mass, hearing confessions, and even performing baptisms. Just this last year, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Other great Kansas warriors have served our nation in Afghanistan and Iraq, Bosnia and Panama, and in countless other places as well. In South Central Kansas, we know the exceptional nature of our armed forces because we're blessed to have Air Force Base McConnell in our community. They participate in local chapters of Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Lions Club, and the Boy Scouts of America. Families all over the area have enjoyed the McConnell Air Show and their open house, where they open their doors to let their neighbors and friends know what they're up to. McConnell Air Force Base is part of our big Kansas family. And the many veterans that have served at McConnell are all around us.

When the Air Force announced that the new KC-46A tankers would be based at McConnell, I was thrilled, but not simply because of the new planes. This decision recognized McConnell's past achievements--as it has received more awards the last 16 months than all other Air Mobility bases combined--and the capacity for the airmen at McConnell to keep America safe tomorrow as well.

McConnell's airmen and women and their crews have a dangerous and important mission that goes beyond South Central Kansas, one that continues the tradition of those veterans who visit Washington, D.C. on those Honor Flights. Supporting warriors in Africa, the Middle East, and around the world, the airmen at McConnell keep America in the fight.

Since I've joined the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I've participated in numerous briefings about the threats we face around the world. They are real and continuing. Our veterans know this. They've lived it. Thank them. Support them. For they have kept us safe.

As you celebrate Veteran's Day, I ask you to think about our men and women uniform, both past and present, and how their sacrifice, their courage, their accomplishments are responsible for securing to us the blessings of liberty.

God bless you, God bless our veterans, and God bless the United States of America.

Sincerely,
Mike Pompeo
Member of Congress

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