LETTER: 'As I See It: Recognition of Our Veterans'

This past Tuesday across the nation, record numbers of voters turned out to exercise their most sacred right—the right to vote. Once again on Sunday, Nov. 11, we will gather together as a nation to recognize our veterans, who have given so much to defend that right. We join together in a unified voice to thank them for their countless sacrifices and we recommit ourselves as both a Commonwealth and as a nation to honor them for their service.

Veterans Day is held every year on Nov. 11 to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II. It is a day set aside, absolved of our partisan differences, to come together not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans. We come together to thank our veterans far and wide, past or present, young or old, those who returned home, currently deployed or those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. We must never forget our commitment and duty to our veterans, as they have not forgotten their commitment to defending our freedoms at home and abroad.

Throughout the Second Worcester District, as it will be throughout the nation, events will take place to honor our veterans. I ask that we all take a moment to pause this Veterans Day to enjoy the freedoms given to us as Americans and to thank the men and women, who over the course of our nation’s history have stood on guard of these freedoms and liberties. The rich history of the Commonwealth, from Bunker Hill to the current conflict in Afghanistan, is filled with individuals who have stood watch over our liberties and determined to uphold the ideals on which our nation was founded. We are all beneficiaries of their vigilance and determination.

As President John F. Kennedy once said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” As our veterans have done, ordinary men and women, who stepped forward to obtain our independence and stand up to tyranny throughout
the world, we must not only sing their praises, but honor their service. This Veterans Day, I thank those from Massachusetts and across our great nation who have answered the call to service and have risked much to pass onto the next generation our freedoms and the promise of the American Dream.