[T]the 11th hour, on the 11th day, of the 11th month of 2011, we . . . pause to honor America’s Veterans and celebrate their contributions to our way of life. Few have given more to our Nation than the men and women who have served in our Armed Forces in peace and in war.
Generation after generation—from Bunker Hill and Bennington to Baghdad and Abbottabad—protected, defended, and preserved the principles and ideals that define our democracy. Across that remarkable sweep of history, today’s America was shaped at Lexington and Concord, Antietam and Gettysburg, in the skies over Midway, on the beaches of Normandy, in winter’s grip at Chosin Reservoir, in the heat of Ia Drang Valley, from the Persian Gulf into Afghanistan and Iraq by those who wore our Nation’s uniforms. Over twenty-two million living Veterans today embody our exceptional character and values as a people—each a line in our Nation’s history, but together many chapters towards today’s future.
- Eric K. Shinseki
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
We have in our number many Veterans, who have served our Nation with honor and through sacrifice. They continue to serve America by giving of themselves to our organization; the AVA, its Member Clubs, and each of our number truly owe to each of them words of praise and respect. Not only today, but every day, please recognize and express your respect and thanks for the sacrifices they have made for you!
Ken
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