Honoring our Veterans

When colonial troops in the Revolutionary War fought to form a new nation founded on self-governance, they were willing to lay down their lives for a democratic experiment with a far from certain outcome. Many of them never saw the fledgling nation’s independence recognized or experienced the liberties they bravely rallied around. Yet their commitment to the vision of a free nation secured the rights that we continue to enjoy centuries later. This legacy of freedom created by our founders has only endured because of the sacrifices of men and women in each generation who are willing to give up everything to protect the liberties of future Americans.

I would like to express my sincerest thanks to every veteran, active duty service member, and reservist in the 100th district. There are currently around 21.5 million veterans, 1.3 million active military personnel, and 832,000 reservists in the United States. We set aside November 11 to honor them and the veterans before them who defended our nation through times of great peril and uncertainty. Too often we take for granted the rights that these brave women and men have died to secure, even though many of these rights, such as democratic elections, press freedom, and the right to express grievances, were unheard of for much of human history.

Since we enjoy these freedoms each day, we must not relegate the remembrance of our veterans and armed forces to only one day out of the year. They deserve our constant gratitude and support. This can be as simple as thanking veterans we know or teaching our children and grandchildren about the sacrifices of our forebears.

To support Missouri veterans and active duty service members, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 600 last session. This bill requires schools to devote class time to teaching students about the significance of Veterans Day and waives certain business fees for members of the armed forces and National Guard. The legislature also instituted reforms in 2013 to make it easier for military personnel deployed overseas to vote.

The security and liberty we enjoy as American citizens are not, and never will be, free. They were bought with great sacrifice and have been protected by generation after generation of extraordinary men and women in uniform. This Veterans Day, let us commit to remembering and honoring their service to our nation each and every day.