Today especially, I am eternally grateful for the service and sacrifice of the men and women who have served, and continue to serve, on behalf of this great nation that we call home. I am thankful for their dedication. I am inspired by their bravery. And I am hopeful that one day I, too, may learn to live a life of such selfless sacrifice.
To all of this nation's servicemen and women, past and present-- thank you, sincerely. Words cannot do justice to the appreciation that you deserve.
We call this a holiday. But for many veterans, it's another day of memories that drive them to live their lives each day as best as they possibly can. For our troops, it is another day in harm's way. For their families, it is another day to feel the absence of a loved one, and the concern for their safety. For our wounded warriors, it is another day of slow and arduous recovery. And in this national cemetery, it is another day when grief remains fresh. So while it is important and proper that we mark this day, it is far more important we spend all our days determined to keep the promises that we've made to all who answer this country's call.
Carved into the marble behind me are the words of our first Commander-in-Chief: "When we assumed the soldier, we did not lay aside the citizen." Just as the contributions that our servicemen and women make to this nation don't end when they take off their uniform, neither do our obligations to them. And when we fulfill those obligations, we aren't just keeping faith with our veterans; we are keeping faith with the ideals of service and sacrifice upon which this republic was founded.
-- President Barack Obama, 2009
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