Speech: Celebrating Veterans Day 2009 Published Nov. 13, 2009 By Col. Gina Grosso Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst commander BEVERLY, N.J. -- Remarks at the Veterans Day Service at Beverly National Cemetery, Beverly, N.J., Nov. 11, 2009 Good Morning Ladies and Gentleman, Today, we come together to honor and recognize American service members past and present. This day of celebration and reflection originated from the signing of an armistice -- a temporary cessation of hostilities -- on Monday, Nov. 11, 1918, at 11 a.m., when all fighting ceased between the Allied nations and Germany, effectively ending World War I. A year later, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11, 1919, as the first commemoration of Armistice Day, a day, President Wilson said, "... filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, ...." The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11 a.m. The actual legal federal holiday was approved by Congress in 1938. It wasn't until 1954 following World War II and the Korean War that Congress replaced "Armistice" with "Veterans," amending the original Act to commemorate November 11 -- a day in America when veterans of all wars are honored. Veterans are recognized as men and women who have or are serving in America's Armed Forces. Today, Veterans Day is a celebration to honor all of America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. It is also a day for reflection and for remembering. Whether you wear the uniform today, or wore it decades ago, you represent a fundamental truth. It's not the powerful weapons that make our Military the greatest in the world. It's not the sophisticated aircraft, missiles, tanks, or ships that make us the most advanced. The true strength of our Military is the spirit and skill of our Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen--and the true strength of all of our Armed Forces is seen in the men and women who have worn and now wear the uniform of our nation's military. Veterans Day 2009 finds us as a nation at war. Our sons and daughters continue to answer the call to support and defend our nation and our freedoms by serving around the globe in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. There is no mystery behind the endurance and the success of our Armed Forces. In every generation, from the Revolutionary War to this very hour, brave Americans have stepped forward and served honorably in the United States Armed Forces. Every one of you deserves the admiration of our entire country. So, today, it is my privilege to say "thank you" to all of America's veterans, for your quiet courage and exemplary service--to let you know we are grateful and acknowledge your many sacrifices and accomplishments... Military service demands a special kind of commitment. For the time we spend in uniform, the interests of the nation always come first. And those burdens are shared by family members who make many sacrifices of their own, face separation during deployments, and sometimes bear permanent loss - but there are great rewards as well. There is the pride of developing one's character and becoming a leader, serving a cause far greater than any ones-self and the nobility of protecting our nation. Every man and woman who wears America's uniform is part of a long, unbroken line of achievement and honor. No single military power in history has done greater good, shown greater courage, liberated more people, or upheld higher standards of decency and valor than the Armed Forces of the United States of America. Military members serving today are part of a legacy to be proud of. A legacy of exceptional courage, personal valor, and a resolute spirit of self-sacrifice that is exemplified by the four Medal of Honor recipients buried here at the Beverly National Cemetery. As the only tri-service Joint Base Commander, I assure you today's Armed Forces are magnificently carrying the legacy you gave us. There is a phenomenal amount of Combat Power--Air, Land, and Sea that is generated from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. The Nation cannot win today's wars, or tomorrow's wars, without the Service the men at women at the Joint Base so magnificently provide for the Nation's defense. I am tremendously proud to serve at the Joint Base, and grateful to live in a community that is so supportive of those of us who wear the uniform or who have worn the uniform. You can be very proud of the Armed Forces serving in Southern New Jersey. They will continue the legacy of the World's greatest military force. And to those of you who contributed to this legacy, you must never be taken for granted. To honor our veterans, we must continue to keep the promises we have made. We must care for those who were injured in the service of our country. We must support the families of our deployed men and women. We must honor and remember those who have died. Veteran's continue to serve long after they take off their uniform. We see you across the nation supporting our troops and their families when they go to war; you welcome them when they come home; you volunteer and serve in jobs that give other veterans the care they deserve; and when America's heroes are laid to rest, you are there as a reminder of their service, sacrifice, courage and contributions to our grateful nation. I'd like to read a passage from President Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address delivered March 4, 1865, as the Civil War was nearing its end, which you may know was just a few months after Sergeant Strausbaugh was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Lincoln: "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations." President Lincoln's words have stood the test of time, and serve today as a commitment to never forget our veterans and those injured in our nation's defense and the families of those who have died in its service. Veterans, you have done your duty -- to your families, to your communities, to your fallen comrades, and to your country. You have honorably served your nation with great distinction. And we can never say it enough -- for your service in war and in peace -- thank you and God bless you. God bless our Armed Forces and all of our veterans. And, God bless the United States of America. Thank you.