“Thanks VETERANS!”
Families as well as
individuals took time at the Big Bear Valley Veterans Day Ceremony to honor all
United States Military.
Hank Peralez and
Mayor David Caretto are grateful for those that joined in the event.
Good Morning Ladies and
Gentlemen. It is my pleasure to be here
representing my colleagues on the Big Bear Lake City Council. As we celebrate Veterans Day 2015, I feel honored to be standing here, in front of so
many people who are interested in honoring our Veterans. It is especially meaningful for me, as the
son and son-in-law of WWII Veterans, and as the father of two Iraq War Veterans
and one who also served in Afghanistan and continues to serve. Thank you, All
so much for being here.
It is wonderful to see the
re-emerging spirit of patriotism in our country! Once again, and hopefully
forever more, it is popular to publicly express love for our great country and
gratitude for those who have served her. The Patriotic Spirit has spread to Americans of all ages, and it has
become very important to support and assist Veterans. It is indeed a wonderful sight to see!
Many events which have
occurred over the last several years have made us realize what we have as
Americans … and the freedom that we enjoy.
Today, we recognize those who have protected and continue to protect,
our precious way of life.
Originally called Armistice
Day, this day was conceived as a tribute to the Americans who sacrificed their
lives during. Now, we also honor all American
Veterans who have served in any war to defend our democracy. We also honor our Veterans from every period
of peace as well, for they have protected what our wartime Veterans fought and
died to defend. In addition, we honor
those who presently serve around the globe to keep us safe.
We celebrate on this day
because we know that without our Veterans there would be no Land of the Free …..because they were the BRAVE. Without the Veterans of the American
Revolution, there would not even be a United States of America.
Without the Veterans
of the Civil War … who fought on either side for what they believed in
… the strong, enduring, and cohesive United States of America we know today
might never have been possible.
Without the World
War I and II Veterans we might be living in a country … in a world …
where freedom of choice or the right to vote no longer exist or where the
freedom of religion or speech is only a memory.
Heck, we might even all be speaking German or Japanese!
Without those who fought in
the jungles of Vietnam or the snowy hillsides of Korea or in a number of
other parts of the world, our country might be very different. And without those currently fighting in Iraq,
Afghanistan, Syria and in the War on Terrorism around the world,
we could be living in constant fear … or under the repressive control of
someone akin to Osama Bin Laden or Mohimar Khadafit … or simply, without the
freedoms that we enjoy and, unfortunately,
sometimes take for granted.
All of our Veterans have
protected our democracy … our freedom … our way of life. Today, we honor and thank them.
And tomorrow … we should also
continue to honor and support them. They
have given us the chance to live in freedom today and an opportunity to look
forward to tomorrow. They have given us
all each glorious day … and they have protected all of our freedoms. We should...we must honor them every day, and
in every way that we can.
I think that the best way to
honor our Veterans is to take an active part in maintaining freedom in
America. We should teach future
generations about what it means to be an American and the sacrifice which has
built this country. We should encourage
young people to proudly support our country by Pledging Allegiance to the
United States Flag each and every school day.
We should volunteer in our
communities, as many of you already do …we should insure that we take care of
our veterans and their families, including those that are disabled and
suffering from PTSD … we should become informed and vote in elections … and we
should continue to try to make America the very best that it can be. Without our Veterans, we wouldn’t be where we
are today. Without you and I, we won’t
be able to reach where we could be tomorrow.
I express my thanks to all of
the Veterans that our here in the Convention Center today, as we mark this
special occasion. We have a great group
of proud Veterans here in the Big Bear Valley.
Thank you for honoring our
Veterans on this day. May God bless them
…and may God Bless the United States of America.