Nov. 11 is the day to think about our honored veterans.
For 240 years they have fought to defend those freedoms we hold most dear.
I myself served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam era and was proud to have done so.
Veterans Day is a time to remember all veterans.
We need to remember all those who gave their lives and the many who lost limbs, hearing, sight and have come back with mental problems.
These veterans who have served our nation did so with pride and devotion to duty so that we might have those freedoms we enjoy today.
We need to salute our brave men and women who are now serving in Afghanistan and who have served in Iraq as well as other parts of the world.
This Veterans Day, I find myself thinking what it means to be an American.
The answer is crystal clear, and that is the pride to live in a country that allows us our personal freedom to vote for our future leaders without fear.
Our system may not be perfect, but still is the greatest in the world. But these freedoms do not come without a price. They come with great personal sacrifice from those who leave family, friends and jobs to serve the greater good.
I hope this Veterans Day there will be many flags flying in support of our brave men and women who have served and who are still serving this great nation of ours.
Remember the words of our first commander-in-chief, George Washington, who said: “The willingness with which our young people will fight in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their country.”
That was so true back than and is so true now.
I ask all who read this letter to call a veteran you might know and say thank you for a job well done.
May God bless these brave Americans and may God bless America on the day we call Veterans Day.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.
Mineola
Readers Write: Remembering our veterans
