Veterans Day 2010: Gratefully, We Remember… From Mitt Romney Central

When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep? ~George Canning

We remember… November 11th, Veteran’s Day, commemorates the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, when the armistice signaling the end of World War I was signed. This wonderful federal holiday is a reminder to reflect upon all who have served honorably in our United States military – in wartime or peacetime.

No blog post could begin to convey the gratitude I personally feel for the blood, sweat, suffering, and sacrifice of lives changed, lives maimed, and lives lost… to gift me with the freedoms I enjoy as a United States citizen. I hope you’ll take some time to read a few comments from Vet Friends.com that I’ve shared here. Included are a few photos I hope will stir your heart as they have mine:

VETERANS DAY is a very important day to me and my family. If it wasn’t for the VETERANS then we wouldn’t be enjoying the FREEDOMS that we have in the USA today and the world would be a chaotic mess. Our VETERANS and our ALLIES have made this a better world. We would be speaking Japanese or German today or be under Communistic domination if not for them. Our FREEDOMS would be a thing of the past. I’m honored to be able to go out to area schools and participate in VETERANS DAY programs. I encourage the students to find out who in their family is a veteran and to record their military career so that it can be passed on from one generation to the next. If we fail to ” Pass it on ” then it will be lost forever. Every basic right and freedom we have today has been paid for with the blood, sweat & tears of VETERANS. My great-grandpa Gentrup served in the Civil War, his son, my grandpa, served in the Spanish-American War and I have the Civil War discharge papers and the Spanish-American War Basic Training picture. My great uncle served in WWI and my father-in-law served in England, France, Belgium and Germany during WWII. I served with the 25th Infantry Division at Cu Chi, Vietnam for one year in 1967-68. My brother-in-law served during the Vietnam War in England and then in Thailand in the Air Force. I’m proud to be an AMERICAN VETERAN and so proud of the sacrifices the veterans have made. I lost 2 classmates in Vietnam and I’ll make sure that they are never forgotten. We need to teach the youth of America about our VETERANS and to show them respect. We also must teach them to respect the American Flag and teach them what it represents. I ask God to bless our VETERANS, those living and those who have passed on, bless our troops serving today and may God Bless the UNITED STATES of AMERICA. -PG Gentrup

In all my years, and knowing my dad was in WWII in Normandy and was there on D-day, holds a lot of memories he has passed on to me and what our country fought for. Several good men and women were lost there, I remember my dad told me one time that he and a couple of comrades were on night duty, there sergeant told them shoot first and ask questions later, they heard some rustling in the brush, so they open fired ,since it was so late they figured they would check it out in the day light since they were on the front lines of enemy territory.

Well, daylight finally came so they proceeded to go where they open fired and low and behold in the brush laid a dead cow. They never had a chance to ask any questions as they were laughing to hard. My wonder is how did they fill out the report for that? I can see it now: dead cow massacred by the f.s.s.f. I would love to see that report, lol.

May god bless each and every one of you whom have had to go to war, and god bless, one nation under god, those who couldn’t make it home. I pray you all have angel wings to watch us here on earth and we can still make you smile. In memory of jimmy kisher, army, WWII and johnny biggs, marines, vietnam.

My father whom is still alive thank god, Robert D George,f.s.s.f. army. I salute you all with pride and honor.

Thank you god for watching all of them, a-men. -Mrs Julie

Veterans Day is special to my entire family…father – U.S. NAVY (WWII), older brother – U.S. ARMY, younger brother – U.S. MARINE CORPS (VIETNAM) and myself – U.S. AIR FORCE (VIETNAM). We all served proudly as did many other members of the same family. Except for my deceased father, we all participate in Veterans Day activities to honor each other as well as our brothers and sisters in arms. Its very refreshing for a stranger to approach you with “thank you for serving”; it makes all the sacrafices endured worth while. HAPPY VETS DAY TO MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS. ‘ – ROGER WARE

I proudly served my country in the Marines from 1970 – 1976. My father proudly served his country from 1941-1945, my father-in-law served our country from 1944-1947 and my grandfather proudly served and was wounded three times in the war to end all wars from 1917-1919. And my wife lost an uncle in the Pacific during WWII.

Veterans Day means so much to me and my entire family. We come from a long line of patriotic people and we recognize the sacrifices we all made and the ultimate sacrifices many made with their lives.

We should show our support to past and current men and women serving our country proudly. So on Veterans Day, raise your flag proudly, salute it and pat a veteran on the back – for a job well done.
Semper Fi! – Rick Drosche

I have been retired from the Army since 1984. I spent a year in Viet Nam. In all those years only one person has thanked me. But this Veterans Day my Granddaughter’s Grade school made up for it. They had a wonderful program for all the Veterans. We were presented a gift that each student had made for the Veterans. This school in Meigs County Ohio made up for all these years. It made me proud to be a Veteran and most of all the school to honor Veterans. –Thomas M. Kimes

Veterans Day to me is every day, being a disabled Vietnam Veteran, wounded in an enemy basecamp in 1967. There isn’t a day goes by that I do not remember my buddies who, if not for their ultimate sacrafice, I would not be here now writing this. I shall never forget them nor all of America’s war veterans for without them none of us would be free today. We would have been exterminated as so many innocent men, women and children were in the past wars we fought to keep America free. We need never forget them and should walk proud for they gave their all for us and most, like myself were just “Kids” when we went into battle to keep our country free. May God keep those who gave their all during battle and shower those with His dearest blessings who came home but never really never came home as war has scarred their hearts and sould for as long as they shall live. On this day, please give thanks that those of you who were never baptized by fire do not have to carry the horror of war on your shoulders. Be proud you are an American and honor the men and women who made you free. And, pray for our men and women fighting in Iraq, Afganistan and places which we don’t even know about. Please take five minutes as you enjoy the holiday and say a prayer for America’s veterans. Be happy and let them continue to live through you. Thank you and God Bless America! Michael C. Merrill 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment “Blackhorse” Vietnam 1966-1967 -Michael Merrill

To say how proud I am of my two sons, one just came back from Iraq, the other that is still in Iraq. May God bless and protect them and the people of the United States of America remember all of them this veterans day.

love dad. – Curt Moore

I just want to thank all Veterans who have served and those especially who have given the supreme sacrifice during all of America’s Wars. I was a Marine Sergeant in Iraq and served as a Corporal in Operation Enduring Freedom with 2/6 in the Middle East, so Veterans Day is very special for me. I am sad when I hear people talk that there is no war in Iraq right now because there isn’t that much news coverage and people have forgotten about the troops over there. I just want all the troops to know that I haven’t forgotten about them and my prayers are with them and their safe return to the Greatest country in the world.

Sincerely Sgt. Nolan Pour U.S.M.C

My birthday is Veterans Day. This year it will take on an extra meaning for me. My son Hoby served two tours in Iraq. In July of this year he was killed. Hoby’s birthday is Nov. 7th. I always said he was my birthday present. This year I will honor my son as a Veteran and mourn him at the same time as my birthday. This is a bitter sweet day. Thank you goes out to all the brave soldiers that have served their country. -Dianne

Veterans day has come and gone, like the winds of yesterday, all that is left is the cool air of November and the memories that for some, haunt our dreams or nightmares, for others it is a memory of the one’s we shared our daily lives with, for the Combat soldier it is another day of remembering the greatness of our comrade’s as they fought beside us to hope and have another day in the bush of the jungles of Nam or the sands of Iraq or the Mountains of Afghanistan and even the Icy terrain of Korea or even the beaches of Europe and the many Islands of where they fought.

BUT WE should all look up into our skies of America and see the Eagles as they FLY, and knowing within our hearts that the Eagle we see is a sign of those who have departed keeping an eye on those of us in this GREAT Nation that stands for FREEDOM to be sure that we always remember the great price paid for us to be able to see the Eagle flying free and to know in our hearts that they are all there keeping an eye on us and the ones they shared their love with while here on this earth.

Some day Brother, we will all gather together once again and there will be no more crying or fighting and guns roaring for the cause of peace for we will all have paid the ultimate price and will stand before our creator knowing we are truly FREE at last and enjoy the everlasting PEACE of eternity. God Bless all of you and may God once again Bless America…Vietnam Combat Veteran 68 and 69 America Division 11th Infantry Brigade. -Robert Lee Horton Topeka, Kansas

A profound THANK YOU to all who served or are currently serving in the United States military – from the colonial Minutemen and American Continental Army of yesteryear to today’s Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Army, and Coast Guard.

May we never forget…

God bless our veterans.


UPDATE – Let our troops know how much their sacrifice means to you! Send an email through the USO by clicking here.

► Jayde Wyatt