Veterans Memorial Wall
Councilman Jack K. ClarkVeterans Day Ceremony Speech
November 8, 2008
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George Washington understood that a secure nation required a strong military. General Washington said: “If we desire to secure peace, it must be known, that we are at all times ready for war.” And with that, he called on a child nation to fight for its freedom.
The veterans of the Revolutionary War were heroes. Against insurmountable odds; barefoot and cold, they forged a new nation, a nation that would stand as an example to the world for centuries to come. These were not professional soldiers. These were farmers. They were businessmen. But they were bound together by their desire for freedom - freedom not only for themselves, but for their children.
The Americans who have risen to the cause of freedom throughout history are heroes. But there are some who use the term loosely. I am not sure that they understand what a true American hero is. They use the term almost patronizingly to describe the men and women of America’s Armed Forces. So this morning, I would like to tell you what a hero is to me.First, Hero is NOT A JOB DESCRIPTION. Hero is about character. What lies in the heart of an 18 year old that travels 7,000 miles to protect the freedom of people he has never met?
What is in the soul of a young person who is willing to stand as a sheepdog to protect this nation?
How can you describe the character of an American private who takes command of his squad to scale the cliffs of Normandy, or crawl through the jungles of Vietnam?
They say these heroes are just like us, ordinary people thrust by fate into extraordinary circumstances. WRONG. These men and women are heroes because they are so much more than I. Their courage is far beyond what most of us could ever imagine. They are willing to place their own lives on the line to protect others. They stand ready to sacrifice themselves in the name of freedom.
The young men and women who have served this great country understand the threat to our freedom, and the price that must be paid to keep this country free. They understand there are despicable people in the world who would stop at nothing to destroy our country.
From the beginning of this country 232 years ago, our heroes have served us. They have protected us. And yes, they really did make the world safe for democracy. We freed ourselves from tyranny. We freed Americans imprisoned by slavery, my own family included. Our American heroes have freed continents. We have overthrown tyrants and vanquished the murderers of the innocent. We fed the world. Not bad for two centuries of work.
The sheepdogs who have protected this land have surrendered their youth, and forestalled their own futures to protect our world. They forgo Saturdays at the park with family so we can enjoy ours. They stay awake at night so that I can sleep. They never falter. They never blink. They never rest as long as there is evil in the world.
They have chosen a lonely life, these heroes, away from family and all they know. From the Revolution through the World Wars; from Korea to Afghanistan; from the American Civil War to the war on terror, they are everywhere. They are always present, these heroes. Sheepdogs.
Those who have served the cause of freedom do so with honor. And when they come home, they are expected to forget all they have seen and felt, and move on as if nothing happened. These heroes seldom complain, and despite their gift to us, ask for little for themselves.
There is no greatest generation of Hero. America stands as a shining example of the most heroic nation in history. If, as Ronald Reagan said, America is a shining city on the hill, then the men and women who have served this country have kept that eternal light burning.
No, my friends. Heroes are not “JUST LIKE US.” Like any super-hero, they are everywhere. Their watch has lasted more than two centuries, and still they do not tire. They do not rest. They are forever young. They are reborn in our youth. They despise the horror of war. But yet they understand evil cannot be left to grow. They are not like us. They are so much more.
You will not remember the words I say today. They are of little note. But as Abraham Lincoln said, we can never forget what they did. The collective heart of our great nation beats in the chest of the heroes that have served her.
For them it is not about personal beliefs. For ions, men have died for their own beliefs. It is not about service. Many serve. It is about duty. It is about honor. It is about country. How can we say thank you for what they have given us? No words are enough. Any deed seems pale. We can only acknowledge their service. All we are, and all we will be, is due to these heroes.
This country of ours - America - is wondrous in every way. And this great country exists today because of these men and women, these children, who place liberty and freedom above themselves.
I would like to tell you about US Army Sgt. First Class Denny Stiles. SFC Stiles joined the Army for one enlistment. His plan was to become a doctor. SFC Stiles has served in many tough assignments, including two tours in Iraq. He has trained thousands of soldiers. He has risked his life countless times in the name of freedom. Denny never became a doctor. Instead, he became a hero.
You will not read his name in the paper, or see him on TV. SFC Stiles doesn’t know he is a hero. But I do. I spent four months in basic training in the bunk next to him. I could not know then that the 18 year old boy next to me would go on to serve his country for almost 30 years.
I didn’t know then that my freedom, and the freedom of millions around the world, would lie in his hands, and the hands of those like him. The honor that I feel having known this man is overwhelming.
I ate my breakfast every day with a true American hero. I trained with him. We slept in rain soaked tents. We trained as if the future of our country depended on it. It did.
Denny never became a doctor, but something much more than he ever imagined. Denny became a hero.
Now, the end of Denny’s story has not been written. Denny’s torch of freedom has been handed down to the next generation of hero. Denny may yet become a doctor, as his desire to serve mankind is as strong as ever.
Someday, someone like me will stand before people like you, and tell their own story of an American hero. And I have had the honor of meeting so many heroes in my life.
On my first day of basic training, I stood in awe of my 50 year old first sergeant who could run ten miles eating a sandwich. He was scarred from the battle fields of Vietnam and yet always took the lead.
Today, I stand before you a 50 year old man. I now stand in awe of the young men and women who serve us today. Now it is their turn to take the lead. I cannot express in words my gratitude for all they do.
These heroes are in my prayers always, and my thoughts have been expressed through the generations by those far more eloquent than I. Yet I feel compelled to offer them, simple though they are. I feel compelled to somehow say thank you to the men and women who have served this nation in uniform.
When I travel to Washington DC, I stand on our National Mall. I do not see granite and stone. In the World War II Memorial, I can see the world they saved. I see their faces in the Korean War Memorial, and I read the names on the Vietnam Wall. In the Lincoln Memorial I can see the union they fought so valiantly to save. A short distance away, is Arlington Cemetery.
And there I see the price they paid. These were our mothers and fathers, our sisters and brothers. These were our children. These were the men and women who placed my life, and my freedom, above their own. They are gone. Yet they are not gone. They live on in each one of us. They live on in the freedom of a great nation. These are not monuments for gods or kings. They honor everyday men and women, who were so much more than I could ever hope to be. They are heroes, each of them.
The veterans who have served this country deserve the best we can give them. We must never forget what they did. And we must never forget who they are. They were from Nevada, California, New York, and every place in between. But they all served a single cause…Freedom.
For many of them, the years have slipped away. The memories of war fade. But the cause they served to protect remains. We are free to meet together today because of these heroes.
It is appalling to me that the men and women who served so valiantly should struggle to reap the benefits they have earned and deserve. So will you stand with the veterans who have served the cause of freedom? Will you honor them every day? Will you remember their service? Will you say a prayer that God keeps them safe until he calls them home? I will.
And I ask every elected person in America to join the fight to ensure our veterans are treated with the dignity and respect in which they served this great country. When our heroes come home, their fight should be over. They should not have to fight their own nation for health care or assistance they need to adjust and succeed.
All I have is because men and women greater than I chose to protect me, unworthy though I may be. We must never take their gift for granted. They deserve the best we can offer. We owe them a debt we can never repay. We owe them our freedom.
As I look out on you today, I see the wrinkled, grizzled faces of some of our American heroes. Look at them. What have those tired old eyes seen? The joy of victory, the horrors of war? The anguish of losing a friend in battle? For many, they will not say. They did their job.
Maybe I was wrong. Maybe hero is a job description.