In Tribute To America’s Veterans

Currently, it’s estimated that there are over 20-million, living, United States military veterans throughout our nation. With 3.5-million of them having served just during the years from 2001’s Attack on America to the present.  All told, fewer than 10-percent of all living Americans have served in our military, at some point in their lives.

Based on numbers alone, that makes America’s veterans a very special group, one valued especially for the power they provide to our nation.  There are, of course, many traditional sources of power. Those well-known fuels that generate the energy needed for our businesses, homes, and travel. Yet to be realized is the powerful energy and productivity generated for our country by America’s military veterans. As such, I consider them to be among our nation’s greatest natural resources.

For starters, our veterans provide the empowering skills and dedication that so often helps drive the success of our companies, organizations, institutions, and small businesses.  The busy general public seldom appreciates, let alone even realizes, the empowering resources that our veterans bring to the job or the need.  But seasoned employers and organizations do know, recognize, and value, these powerful, productivity-enhancing traits.

Positive attributes, most often initiated by family upbringing, then further developed, and made permanent, by military training and expectation.  Those powerful character qualities that veterans bring to the job include: discipline, commitment, honesty, reliability, courage, vision, teamwork, an unfailing sense of responsibility, and the instinct to do what’s right.  Along with all of these positive qualities, those who run businesses, organizations, or governments know well, that military veterans also possess a strong and dedicated work ethic, a critical, ingrained ability that can be depended on, every day, no matter the demands of the assignment, or how long successful job completion may take.

Beyond the business environment, our veterans, also, provide enabling power for our communities, by serving in elected positions, working in government agencies, leading non-profit organizations, or serving as volunteers, such as coaching youth athletics or working in other ways to help young people, to name but a few of their unlimited community contributions.

And our veterans contribute in so many positive ways to our neighborhoods, as well, seeing first to the support and well-being of their family, then helping with multi-family neighborhood activities, and always ready to assist others, whether the needs are next door or down the block.

Once again, we all know well the traditional natural resources that fuel and energize our everyday lives. It’s time now that we recognize and acknowledge the powerful, every-day, energy-force for all-around productivity, as well as force for good, provided to the nation by America’s veterans.  Placing them, in my view, truly high on the list of America’s most prominent, and most needed, natural, and especially, national, resources.

And as if those weren’t gifts enough, all of our men and women who’ve worn, or now wear, the uniform of our nation, are unwavering pillars of American patriotism. Perhaps forming the very backbone of love for, and devotion to, our wondrous and exceptional nation.

While Veterans’ Day is the one official time each year that our country, and our citizens, offer a collective thanks for their service.  The truth is, we should be providing heartfelt thanks every day, to those who have served our nation, along with all of those devoted men and women who stand and serve America in uniform today.

And our most sincere thanks, as well, to our past and present military families, who’ve provided such invaluable support for their service member, whether at home or, especially, while away. And because of that, in my view, our military families have been, and will always be, the ultimate force-multiplier for our nation.

And so, to all of our veterans, and to all who currently serve, to include, of course, our much needed and highly-skilled citizen-Guardsmen and Reservists, we thank you for your courageous service, and sacrifices made, in defense of our nation’s sovereignty, security, and the precious freedoms we cherish. You are a true blessing to America.  And for that, you have our eternal gratitude and praise.  You men and women make our nation so very thankful and proud.  So our deepest thanks, and genuine appreciation, to you who’ve served, and those who currently do, for all that you’ve done for, and continue to mean to, our America.