Veterans Day: Time to honor those who served in military
Honoring America’s heroes — those who served in the U.S. armed forces during times of war and peace — is the focus of Veterans Day.
Since its beginning as Armistice Day to recognize those who served in World War I, Nov. 11 has been a time set aside to honor all military veterans.
Veterans Day is always observed officially on Nov. 11, regardless of the day of the week on which it falls, honoring the Armistice that ended World War I on Nov. 11, 1918. The armistice between the U.s.-led Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
Here are some quotes, inspiration and remembrances in honor of Veterans Day 2023:
“Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere who bravely bears his country’s cause.” — President Abraham Lincoln
“I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.” — Nathan Hale, American Revolution patriot
“The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.” — Gen. Douglas Macarthur
“It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.” — Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf
“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” — tennis legend and activist Arthur Ashe
“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory.” — President Woodrow Wilson
“Throughout the course of American history, courageous men and women have taken up arms to secure, defend and maintain these core principles upon which our nation’s freedoms depend.” — President George W. Bush
“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” — poet Maya Angelou
“While only one day of the year is dedicated solely to honoring our veterans, Americans must never forget the sacrifices that many of our fellow countrymen have made to defend our country and protect our freedoms.” — former U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer of Texas
“America without her soldiers would be like God without his angels.” — author Claudia Pemberton
“Tragically, the effort to make America and the world safer and to defend freedom around the world is not without an enormous cost to this nation in terms primarily of lost lives and those who bear the scars and the wounds of war, and their families who must bear these losses.” — John Warner, former U.S. senator, Navy secretary
“The patriot’s blood is the seed of freedom’s tree.” — poet Thomas Campbell
“Honoring the sacrifices many have made for our country in the name of freedom and democracy is the very foundation of Veterans Day.” — former U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel of New York
“On this Veterans Day, let us remember the service of our veterans, and let us renew our national promise to fulfill our sacred obligations to our veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much so that we can live free.” — former U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski of Illinois
“Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay. But we can honor their sacrifice, and we must.” — President Barack Obama
“Veterans know better than anyone else the price of freedom, for they’ve suffered the scars of war. We can offer them no better tribute than to protect what they have won for us.” – President Ronald Reagan
“There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.” — Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers
“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” — writer and philosopher G.K. Chesterton