Men emerged from the trenches that day, muddy, injured, and some covered with the dried blood of battle. An Armistice had been reached and the agreed upon hour came. Just moments before, the shells still rang loud, more men injured or killed due to their deadly effect, and no one was sure the other side would honor the order to cease fire. Yet, in spite of those who claimed it wouldn’t happen, the rage of battle ended that November day, 1918. The War to end all Wars had left countless millions of British, French, German, and American soldiers dead on the battlefield along with paving the way for yet another war to follow a mere 21 years later.

Today we honor those countless heros of wars past, the countless men and women who never saw battle, and the ones who fought and preserved the freedoms we enjoy in the United States today. No words can express the gratitude to each of these for their sacrifices throughout American history. From the winter camps of Valley Forge to the sands of Iraq or the mountains of Afghanistan, men and women have fought bravely and died for a nation.  From the Marines at the retreat from the “Frozen Chosin” in Korea, to the jungles in Vietnam and Cambodia, men went to war for a belief in freedom and liberty. At the battles of Iwo Jima, Saipan, Corrigador, and the Philippines men sacrificed their all in the Pacific of WW II. The Battle of the Bulge, Anzio, and Normandy, each place now considered the victorious battlefield where heroes died in the European Theater of the war against Fascism and Nazism.

Today as we march in parades and listen to countless speeches, we also salute the living from battles past, and honor those who died, sacrificed and gave courageously for their country. If asked again, they would do it all over without hesitation or reservation.

The United States is the greatest nation in the world. It is so because of the people and the brave men and women who, when called to arms, take to the battle field selflessly and willingly. What drives them to do so and without regard for personal preservation? What makes our nation far different than any other nation in the world in that respect?

It stems from a simple concept that in 1776, Thomas Jefferson penned so eloquently in the Declaration of Independence and summarized in the second paragraph of that document:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Undeniably, our nation has survived because of a belief that those unalienable rights, given by God, are worth fighting for and dying for. The preservation of mankind, of our nation, and of our families depends on those rights. Americans will answer the call when those rights are under assault and will do so with the unfettered desire to defend them at all costs. Jefferson even wrote that the sum total of our liberty was the collective total of individual liberty. It is that individualism that brings us together as a nation in a way few understand. We are a nation in which the individuals rights have more value than the collective total of the “everyone”.

So sometime today, take pause and listen to the voices of the men and women from era’s past. Thank a veteran and praise their heroism. Shake their hand or give them a hug. Tell them you understand that Liberty is a cause we as Americans uniquely understand and that you appreciate their sacrifice and valor.

We call them each heroes. They call themselves Americans. Let’s each salute them for what they really are- men and women who love Liberty and no matter the cost, stood on those principles Jefferson penned in 1776 and assured our generation, and future generations, would understand Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness for decades to come.