Americans. To these families and particularly to my parents, I thank you for your understanding and support. This day belongs to you too. The mark of being a veteran is service and sacrifice. We gather here today to honor and pay tribute to those who have served and those who continue to serve. Those who serve so that we can enjoy the best that America has to offer; FREEDOM AND PEACE AT HOME. Those who choose to serve in our armed forces do so voluntarily. Some enroll first to help pay for their education. Some embark on the quest to acquire a professional skill when they return to the comfort of home and family. Others join us because it was their childhood dream to practice the profession of arms. But whatever their reason, they all volunteered to provide a needed service to America and, in doing so, extended that service to the rest of the world. This service is manifested in providing comfort to our own citizens suffering from the devastation of Katrina two years ago and the current events unfolding during the California wildfires. They also brought hope and comfort to people in other countries, such as those who suffered from earthquakes in Pakistan and areas devastated by the tsunami a few years earlier. From the deadly beaches of Normandy to the war in the jungles of South Vietnam, via the vast deserts of Iraq or the hills of Bosnia-Herzegovina... American soldiers, men and women, have contributed most of the necessary strength to provide refuge and hope to the weak and oppressed. These veterans answered the call of the nations and did so and continue to do so with pride. If service is their calling, then sacrifice is the price our veterans must pay for that service. Since the days when our soldiers, ...... middle of paper ...... are in uniform, this is the purpose of this day. History records the valor of the American veteran in terms of units, armies and forces, the role of the American veteran is the story of every individual who accepted the call of duty. This gathering in honor of the American veteran is a tribute to his glory and his dedication to duty. There are many veterans. They serve and sacrifice, and having the honor of wearing the uniform is thank you enough for most of them. But nonetheless, speaking here today on behalf of those who have served and those who continue to do so -- active, reserve or guard -- your presence here today, for this event, is indeed appreciated. It's more appreciated than you can imagine. What does Veterans Day mean? It comes down to one phrase – a phrase you never hear too often in a democracy: Freedom is not free..