Newsletter: We Owe Our Veterans Everything

Statement

On Monday, I had the opportunity to speak at the annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery. I was able to join many other Idaho veterans and their families in expressing our deepest gratitude to those courageous men and women who lost their lives in battle.

Whether they fought on the beaches of Normandy, the skies over Midway, or the mountains of Afghanistan, their mission has always been the same: to fight for freedom, liberty, justice, and the American way of life. It is because of their bravery that we are safe and it is because of their sacrifice that we are free.

President Reagan once said, "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free."

Those who have served our country in uniform understand these words intuitively. They did not read them in a textbook. They have lived these words and have taught them by deeds, not by words.

We must also recognize that when a service member joins the military, it's not just a job - it's a family commitment to our country. For each deployed service member, there is often a wife or a husband left behind.

These quiet patriots kiss their loved ones goodbye, and send them far from home, often in harm's way. They run their households. And they raise their children. And they do it without knowing if their loved one will ever return. And sometimes they do not return. Whatever accolades we bestow upon our service members, we must also bestow upon their families.

I am so proud of Idaho's service members, veterans and their families. We owe them everything and we must never forget them. We must always keep the flame of memory alive.

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