file photo Boyd Loving
A Veterans Day Message from Bergen County Executive Kathleen A. Donovan
Each year at this time I struggle to find the words that will appropriately reflect the deep respect and admiration I hold for our U.S. military veterans..
There are, I have come to learn, no words that can adequately reflect our gratitude and repay the debt we collectively owe to the men and women who served in the U.S Armed Forces and continue to serve us to this day.
The simplest and best words I can come up with to commemorate this day are simply to say to our veterans: Thank You.
Thank you for your sacrifice and your commitment to your country. Thank you for your bravery on the battlefield; thank you for putting your lives on the line and your personal lives on hold while you protected America’s interest around the globe. And thank you for giving us the freest nation on earth – the shining beacon of hope for the rest of the world.
For the past 240 years, beginning when our colonialist first embraced the fight for liberty, Americans have made an unwavering commitment to freedom and a pledge to fight tyranny wherever it exists in the world. When the call to arms has come, American men and women have answered, willingly and unselfishly.
The unique American commitment to Liberty has never waned, no matter what the price. And the price has been steep for many individuals and their families.
Millions of American families have been heartbroken by the loss of a loved one who fought and died in uniform — and millions more have been forced to live with wounds, both physical and psychological that have afflicted our U.S. servicemen and women.
The families who stand by proudly while their sons and daughters serve the cause for freedom deserve our thanks today too. They live with fear every day for their children. I pray that their sons and daughters will be returned safely to them.
And so, at the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, we pause and remember and thank our veterans.
Bergen County Executive Kathleen A. Donovan
