Advertisement

firehouse pizza banner

Veterans Day Serves As Reminder to Honor Those Who Protect Our Freedom

Legislative Update:  State Representative C.B. Embry, Jr. (R-Morgantown)

On Sunday, November 11th many of us will celebrate Veterans Day.  Not only do we pay tribute to the soldiers who are fighting to protect our nation, but we also pause in reverence to their valiant service. 

No state has proven its loyalty through service over the last 200 years like Kentucky has, and we are justifiably proud of that fact. When our nation and its ideals of freedom and democracy have been threatened, Kentuckians have been among the first to join the battle and among the last to return home to their loved ones. This time of year, I am reminded of the thousands of soldiers who have served in conflicts to protect our rights, freedoms and liberties.

Nearly 60,000 military men and women and 367,000 veterans call Kentucky “home.”  Their sacrifices for our safety and comfort are well-chronicled, from Normandy to the Pacific, to Korea and Vietnam, and in the sands of Iraq and rugged mountain terrain of Afghanistan.  

Kentuckians have also played a large role in overseas conflicts. Our citizens accounted for 11,005 soldiers in the Persian Gulf War, 159,000 during the Vietnam conflict, 123,000 in the Korean War; 305,272 during World War II; and 94,516 who served in World War I. 

Despite these well-known sacrifices, too often we think a simple "thank you" is enough. Yet, we honestly know it is not. Perhaps this current overseas conflict will be a lasting legacy of gratitude and appreciation for what countless Kentuckians and their families have given up throughout their years of service. 

We will continue to fight for freedom. As Americans, we know how important freedom is and must not ever deter from our goals. We must always have the opportunity to live life to its fullest and greatest potential. The commitment to these ideals, the commitment to freedom, to be able to make your own decisions, to worship freely, to select a career, to have individual rights and to have them protected and guaranteed, to live life freely - these are the things for which our soldiers have dedicated themselves to protect.

I challenge you to carry the spirit of Veterans Day through the rest of the year.  Each day, take a moment to savor the feeling of pride that comes with knowing that you are an American and that as an American, we are all part of something bigger and better than we are individually.

Calvin Coolidge once said, “The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten.”  How true.   We must never forget the sacrifice that has been made for us live in freedom and tranquility.

As I close, I ask everyone to keep the many men and women who serve our nation here and abroad and their families in your thoughts and prayers. 

 

Tags: 


Bookmark and Share

Advertisements