‘We Must Ensure Our Nation Remains Worth Fighting and Dying For’
Kevin Nicholson, Contributor to The Hill
There are roughly 20 million American veterans alive today, and some estimates indicate that as many as 60 million Americans have served in uniform since our nation’s birth. They’ve often served in far-flung places such as Normandy, the Chosin Reservoir, Germany, Libya, Okinawa, Fallujah, Mexico, Vietnam, Haiti, Kandahar and so many others.
Some served and fought closer to home — in places such as Manassas, Va., Gettysburg, Pa., and Lexington, Ky. Many spent their last days on Earth in these places. Although Memorial Day is a solemn remembrance of those we’ve lost on duty, Veterans Day is the day when we thank all of our veterans for their service and sacrifice.
And although it’s often forgotten when we speak of large amounts of sacrifice over long spans of time, each of these American veterans was a living, breathing person with hopes and dreams for their future. Their military service likely altered those hopes and dreams. For some, like me, service opened up opportunities to take on challenges in education and career fields that never would have occurred without the benefit of military training and experience.