Speech Presented on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2018
One hundred years ago today, on November 11, 1918, the First World War officially
ended. To celebrate the end of the war, that day was designated Armistice Day. In 1954,
President Eisenhower changed it to Veterans Day in order to remember and honor the men and
women who served in our Armed Forces, during war time and peace time, whether they were
on active duty, in the National Guard, or in the Reserves. These men and women served in any
of the 5 branches of the military: Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and Airforce.
However, the description I just gave doesn’t truly tell us who a veteran actually is. First,
veterans are the fathers and the mothers; the sons and the daughters; the uncles and the aunts;
the grandchildren, the nephews and the nieces and the friends and the neighbors, who decided
that it was important enough for them to set aside their personal lives and commit themselves
to safeguarding our homes, our community, and our way of life. Some took on this
commitment for a brief period while others took it on for many, many years. For these
individuals, the West Point motto of “Duty”, “Honor”, “Country” was not merely a slogan. For
these individuals, these words were the benchmark by which they judged themselves and one
another. These words were the foundation underlying their way of being and the guidance for
their actions; not just in the military but in all areas of their life. If they hadn’t developed the
values of “Duty,” “Honor,” “Country” before they entered the Armed Forces, they surely learned
it while serving in the military. Specifically, they learned self-discipline and to temper their
needs for personal and immediate gratification. They learned that the path of least effort,
avoidance of stress, and hiding in one’s comfort zone were not options that the military
condoned. They learned respect for themselves, respect for others who were different, and
respect for authority. They learned patience under harsh conditions, regard for strangers, and
how to work together to accomplish their assignments. They confronted their insecurities and
learned that they could do more than they thought they could possibly do. As situations arose,
they found the spark of courage and the fortitude, that exists within each and everyone one of
us, in order to succeed in their objectives.
Veterans are not necessarily exceptional people, they are fundamentally ordinary people
who come from all walks of life, from all-of the states of our union, and from all religious, racial,
ethnic, and economic backgrounds. They bring to the Armed Forces their unique histories,
perspectives, and talents and apply them to the ultimate objective of protecting every one of
us. They are there for us in times of war and in times of natural disasters.
Many of them served as combatants and the rest as stand by or support personnel. But
every person who served in the Armed Forces knew that at any moment his or her life could be
put in harm’s way. They knew that they had put their lives on the line when they agreed to the
One hundred years ago today, on November 11, 1918, the First World War officially
ended. To celebrate the end of the war, that day was designated Armistice Day. In 1954,
President Eisenhower changed it to Veterans Day in order to remember and honor the men and
women who served in our Armed Forces, during war time and peace time, whether they were
on active duty, in the National Guard, or in the Reserves. These men and women served in any
of the 5 branches of the military: Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and Airforce.
However, the description I just gave doesn’t truly tell us who a veteran actually is. First,
veterans are the fathers and the mothers; the sons and the daughters; the uncles and the aunts;
the grandchildren, the nephews and the nieces and the friends and the neighbors, who decided
that it was important enough for them to set aside their personal lives and commit themselves
to safeguarding our homes, our community, and our way of life. Some took on this
commitment for a brief period while others took it on for many, many years. For these
individuals, the West Point motto of “Duty”, “Honor”, “Country” was not merely a slogan. For
these individuals, these words were the benchmark by which they judged themselves and one
another. These words were the foundation underlying their way of being and the guidance for
their actions; not just in the military but in all areas of their life. If they hadn’t developed the
values of “Duty,” “Honor,” “Country” before they entered the Armed Forces, they surely learned
it while serving in the military. Specifically, they learned self-discipline and to temper their
needs for personal and immediate gratification. They learned that the path of least effort,
avoidance of stress, and hiding in one’s comfort zone were not options that the military
condoned. They learned respect for themselves, respect for others who were different, and
respect for authority. They learned patience under harsh conditions, regard for strangers, and
how to work together to accomplish their assignments. They confronted their insecurities and
learned that they could do more than they thought they could possibly do. As situations arose,
they found the spark of courage and the fortitude, that exists within each and everyone one of
us, in order to succeed in their objectives.
Veterans are not necessarily exceptional people, they are fundamentally ordinary people
who come from all walks of life, from all-of the states of our union, and from all religious, racial,
ethnic, and economic backgrounds. They bring to the Armed Forces their unique histories,
perspectives, and talents and apply them to the ultimate objective of protecting every one of
us. They are there for us in times of war and in times of natural disasters.
Many of them served as combatants and the rest as stand by or support personnel. But
every person who served in the Armed Forces knew that at any moment his or her life could be
put in harm’s way. They knew that they had put their lives on the line when they agreed to the
role of being the guardians of our nation. Sadly, some veterans payed the ultimate price. Other
veterans, all too many of them, came home and discovered that their efforts and sacrifices on
behalf of all of us were either not appreciated or simply taken for granted. As a society we were
and continue to be self-absorbed with our own lives. We are so consumed with our jobs, our
family responsibilities, our entertainment, and our other commitments that we fail to realize
our oversight of and neglect towards our veterans. And the one day that our nation had set
aside to formally express our appreciation to our veterans for all they had done for us,
somehow became a national sale day. We, Americans, would do well to reassess our priorities
and to take a hard look at how we are treating our veterans and how we value their
contributions towards safeguarding our communities and our way of life.
On this day, it also needs to be said loudly, that no veteran operates in a vacuum. All of
us, and not just veterans, depend on those members of our communities, who are not
necessarily veterans, but who have also chosen to serve our communities. They include, but
are not limited to, elected representatives, government employees, law enforcement, fire, and
first aiders. All too often, these service providers are also taken for granted. Likewise, not
enough attention is paid to the needs we veterans have, for the emotional and material support
of our family, friends, community, and nation. Many of us received support while we were
away. And that support sustained us and kept us anchored to our roots. Regrettably, others
were not so fortunate. They had to make do without our support and, as a result, too many of
them fell through the cracks. And when we veterans return to our home, we need emotional
support to sustain us and enable us to continue to live our lives as productive citizens and family
members. Without it we may become adrift.
Lastly, when veterans return to their communities and see disrespect, hatred, and
divisiveness, and when they experience that they are being taken for granted, or rejected, or
shut out of opportunities that are available to others who have not served, they cannot be
faulted for thinking, “Is this what I put my life on the line for?” And as for the divisiveness, now
so commonplace in our society, we would do well to remember the words of the Pledge of
Allegiance “One Nation under God Indivisible with Liberty and Justice for ALL.” At our core we
are one people, one nation. And to paraphrase what was first written in Matthew 12:24 and
made famous by Abraham Lincoln, “A house divided against itself can-not stand.” Divided, our
nation will certainly perish. So, take the time to rethink your priorities.
We veterans intuitively know to acknowledge and express our gratitude for each other.
So, make it a daily practice to express your appreciation to the veterans, your community
service providers, and to your family and friends for all they have done and are doing on your
behalf. Unless you know something, I don’t know, none of us are clones. So, seriously, consider
doing what we in the military were trained to do. Learn to value and accept the differences you
encounter and create solutions that reflect our core beliefs about the inherent value of each-
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and-every individual. In doing that, you might just find yourself absentmindedly conducting
your life in accordance with the West Point motto of “Duty,” “Honor,” “Country” and along with
it being compassionate and respectful towards yourself, everyone you meet, and our nation.
Jack Kirschenbaum
Commander
American Legion Post 522
Monroe Township, NJ 08831
