Generations of Americans have endured and prevailed through the firestorms of history. Each American family has stories told and retold defining who they are and where they have been. Unique and inspirational, sometimes sad but stories of whom we are. In the book of Psalms we are told to “sing a new song.” Each day the present fades into the past and what we do with our time here on earth determines our future. What we have known merges with our hopes and dreams to inspire us to sing a new song every day. Families hold us together as we govern ourselves in the continual weaving of the American experiment.

My father is one of 10 brothers who served in our military forces during World War II, right after the war, and during the Korean Conflict. My mother has a brother that I never knew because he never made it home from World War II. Now, one of our nation’s newest U.S. Marines is my nephew. With honor for our past heroes and respect for a new generation of warriors ready to defend our nation I am proud of the men and women of the U.S. military who give their very best everyday. With utmost respect I always honor those who have served our nation and give strong support for those who protect America now. I remember once standing in Virginia at “Surrender Field,” where George Washington accepted the British surrender that ended the Revolutionary War. There for the first time I realized that the Declaration of Independence was a bold document and those signers indeed put their lives and fortunes at stake — but America was never free until the American soldiers conquered the enemy. The United States military has a long history of defending our God-given rights in a dangerous world where kings, dictators, pirates, Marxists, Nazis, Japanese Emperors, fascists, Communists, terrorists, and others seek to destroy American liberty. I thank those who have given their lives, their blood, and portions of themselves so that we can remain free. Thank you one and all.