We owe them our service

  • Published
  • By Col. William A. Chambers
  • 11th Wing commander
BOLLING AIR FORCE BASE, D.C. (AFPN) --  On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the guns fell silent on Europe's muddy battlefields. World War I was over. President Woodrow Wilson ordered Armistice Day be commemorated in succeeding years as a reminder of the "war to end all wars."

In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower renamed the holiday to honor American veterans of all wars. The list has lengthened since 1918: World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, the Gulf War, and, now, the Global War on Terrorism.

While the name of the day was changed, the purpose remained the same: to honor American veterans for their patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. We owe so much to our veterans, men and women who have been separated from their families, missed the births of their children and spent holidays away from home.

Moreover, it's a debt we can never fully repay. America's veterans, current and past defenders, have helped shape the very character of America. Their stories are our country's history, because America rose to greatness on their shoulders. We owe our way of life, our freedom to work and raise our families as we choose, to them.

There are more than 26 million veterans among us. We know them as our fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, and our next-door neighbors. They represent the finest America has to offer through their lifetime of service, and the country has been enriched by their contributions, both in and out of uniform. As President George W. Bush noted on Veterans Day last year, "The term 'veteran' conveys more than a rank held in the past ... each of us is better because of the influence of a veteran. And so is America."

Today, we are engaged in a war unlike any our country has ever known, against an enemy unlike any we've ever known. Like the defenders before us, we've been called to meet a great challenge. And, thanks to our leadership, our training, our equipment and our commitment, we're ready.

While the battleground and enemy may be different, our cause is clearly the same: to protect our republic, to preserve our fellow citizens' freedoms and to help secure a peaceful future for our families. It is up to us to serve now like those who have gone before us -- to fight for the values of liberty and justice they defended for us.

So, on this Veterans Day, the 50th year our nation has marked a day for veterans in November, let us remember the true significance of the day as we honor the millions of defenders on whose shoulders we stand and serve proudly.