Every year as a
country we celebrate Veterans day on November 11. This year I decided to do a little research
on the observance of Veterans Day and its history. Did you know- Fighting in
World War I ended with a period of armistice (temporary ceasefire) that went
into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. The
Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919 to officially end the war.
In November of 1919
President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice
Day which we now know as Veterans Day.
To celebrate the day he said the following words, "To us in America
the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the
heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the
victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of
the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and
justice in the councils of the nations…" (Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs- History of Veterans Day)
I have a special
place in my heart for Veterans and their families as they continue to make
sacrifices for our freedom.
Today I would like
to say Thank You. To each and every service member, past and present,
today I say thank you. We will never be
able to thank you enough for the sacrifices that you have made for our country
and our freedom. You have sacrificed your time and energy, you have sacrificed
birthdays, anniversaries, births, school moments, holidays, and many
"firsts." You have sacrificed your personal hopes, dreams, and time.
You have given more of yourself than we ever had the right to ask for. Some of
you have sacrificed your lives and for that we will never be able to thank you
enough.
My prayer today is
that each and every one of you would know that you are loved and appreciated. I
pray that you would know that regardless of what the media or some people say,
there are people that continue to be grateful for all that you have done and
there are people that continue to stand behind you and support you. I come from a family rich in service to this
country and I know that your families make sacrifices along side you each and
every day. For that I want to say thank you.
My Great Grandpa Bill Leaton who served in the Air Force during World War II and Vietnam
I would like to
say a special thank you to my own family
members- Bill Leaton, Donnie Leaton, Jack Leaton, Billie Leaton, Livia
Kendrick, Marty Kendrick, James Almon, Kelly Jo Lemons, Gary Lemons, Casey Hughes, and Bob
Roberts. Thank you for the time you
spent in service to our country and the sacrifices you made. I cannot put into
words the pride I feel to come from a family that has offered so much to our
country and for my freedom. Thank you.
I would also like to
say a personal thank you to my friends and classmates Devin Greer, Tara
Quiroga, and Bryan Quiroga, to a special family friend John Swann, Thank you.
Thank you each for the time you have given and
continue to give to our country. I count myself blessed to know each of
you and will never be able to thank you enough.
Thank you doesn't
seem like nearly enough for the sacrifices that our veterans have made and
continue to make each day in the fight for our freedom, but it's often all I
know to say. Please take time to thank a veteran today but please don't let
November 11th be the only day that you recognize their sacrifice.
I read a haunting
fact recently that says 22 veterans a day commit suicide. Do you realize that
means 8,030 veterans this year will commit suicide? That number breaks my
heart, makes me sick, and stirs the need in me to do something more! #Mission
22 is working to end the stigma associated with PTSD and TBI. It's working to
end the silence and save the 22. Consider joining #Mission22 in raising
awareness for veterans and their fight.
Other Ways YOU can
make an impact-
Find a charity!
There are countless charities out there that work each and every day to support
our veterans and their families. They need our support to continue doing the
jobs they are doing now. Two of those charities that are especially close to my
heart are Lone Survivor Foundation and Wounded Warrior Project.
Lone SurvivorFoundation was founded by Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell. The Foundation works to "restore, empower, and renew hope for our wounded
service members and their families through health, wellness, and therapeutic
support."
Wounded WarriorProject was started in 2003 and works to raise awareness and enlist the public's help in meeting the
needs of injured service members. They work to meet those needs through unique
programs and services while helping services members aid and assist each other.
Our veterans and
their families deserve so much more than a Thank You once a year. Consider
making a commitment to do more to support their service and their sacrifices
this year. They have given more than we will ever know in order for us to have
the freedoms we have today.
Lets make every day
a day to say Thank you as we honor and remember the heroism, patriotism, love
of country, and willingness to sacrifice and serve for our freedoms.
To our veterans-
Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. It's all I have to say but it will never be
enough.
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