Veterans Day 2009

As our nation is engaged in two wars, I was saddened to see that the front page of our local paper paid more attention to the death of a sniper than to those who serve and who have served. There was a single front page story – and it was more about the individual than veterans in general, a story that some might even find offensive.

Lots of information on PilotOnline about what’s closed on this national holiday but little about about what the holiday means. Interesting that the banks and the courts are closed, but trash pickup in Norfolk goes on as scheduled.

Senator Jim Webb gets what Veterans Day is about. Here is a short clip of his remarks today on the Senate floor.

His entire remarks are below the fold.

“This Veterans Day, we will stop as a nation to commemorate the service of all of those who have served our country throughout our history and to thank the nation’s 23.4 million veterans for the service that they have given in war and in peace, extending all the way back in terms of living veterans of World War I. We want to do our best to take care of those who have served our country, to honor that service.

“As the son of an Air Force officer, the father of a Marine, and a Marine combat veteran myself, I understand the value of having leaders in Congress who know first-hand what it’s like to be deployed, to have close family members deployed and, ultimately, to join the ranks of my fellow veterans.

“As a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and as the new chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee, I take very seriously my commitment to serving our nation’s veterans and our active duty, National Guard, Reserve service members, and their families. I believe that the extraordinary devotion to duty demonstrated by our military veterans in defending our nation’s security must be matched by a corresponding commitment to their welfare by their elected representatives in Congress.

“As we honor those who have served in uniform this Veterans Day, we should remember that they have always done what the country asks of them in every war. When they take off their uniform to return to family and friends in civilian life, it is our responsibility to act as their stewards to demonstrate the value we place on their service to our nation.”