Friday, November 11, is Veteran's Day, the day we Americans set aside to honor all the men and women who have served and are serving our country in uniform. We thank them all for their commitment to our nation's security and freedom.
The men and women who serve come from all walks of life and live among us – they are parents, children, grandparents, friends, neighbors and coworkers. Many are employees of our organization, and it is our privilege to recognize and thank them. We want all veteran and families to know that we deeply appreciate the sacrifices that have been made to keep our country free and safe. November has been designated as National Veterans and Military Families Month, recognizing all the ways families support their service members.
Today, there are an estimated 19 million living Americans who served in at least one war, including more than 1,436,000 living in Texas and 115,000 in Central Texas, in addition to thousands more who serve or have served in the National Guard. We owe them our thanks. We owe them our respect. And we owe them our freedom.
John F. Kennedy said, "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
Join us in thanking the veterans you know, not only this Veterans Day, and this month, but every day. Those five words – Thank you for your service – will mean so much.