Honor the Veterans, Help Build Our Great Nation

This message was delivered at the by William H. James, Ph.D. (www.buildusanow.com).

I am thankful to be here today with other veterans, town officials, community groups, many young people and others. This is America. This is what the service men and women in the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force fought to preserve. Treasure it!

Veterans in the United States have served in many wars. During my lifetime, and starting with WWI in 1917, I have lived through seven wars. During WWII, I served four years primarily as an Air Force combat intelligence officer with the B-29 bombers in India, China and on Tinian Island, which had one of the largest air bases in the world. I lost many friends and the fatality rate, particularly among crew members, was very high.

Since 1950 there have been five additional wars: the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Desert Storm War, the Afghanistan War and the Iraq War. There is a sobering long list of casualties related to those seven wars.

Service people in all branches of service did their best and many died trying to defend and preserve our great nation. I believe that many of the service people had hope and faith that future national leaders at the top level of government would build the nation into an ever greater nation.

Today, at least from my viewpoint, that hope and faith is being weakened by unwise and disturbing proposals by top political leaders in both major political parties. The problems the nation now faces seem endless and it seems that the veterans and the people have a new battle to fight; that is; to take back the nation from the money operators, the internationalists and other special interest groups, put people to work, and strengthen and build our nation. The nation should be so strong politically and economically as well as militarily that the people of the United States can go forward with confidence in our ever more complex world.  

All veterans are great men and women; they served, risked death and survived. Now I believe that they and many people must join together with producers and builders from industries, farms, worker groups and many others to make the nation a great nation again for all people.

We are here to remember the veterans, but we must think of all people because all of us are in this nation together in a growing and ever more dangerous world. Yes, be thankful for the services of the veterans, but join together to build the United States and improve the lives of the people. When that is done, service people will not have served or died in vain. Honor the veterans, take back the nation and build it. Good luck, and I salute the veterans.  

For more from Dr. William H. James, visit www.buildusanow.com.