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Each November 11, we pause to honor those who have stepped forward to serve our country in uniform. Veterans Day is a time for gratitude, reflection, and recognition. It is more than a date on the calendar or a patriotic tradition. It is a moment to consider the deep cost of service and the quiet courage that defines our veterans.
The roots of Veterans Day go back to 1919, when the first anniversary of the end of World War I was marked as Armistice Day. Over time, this observance became a national holiday honoring all veterans, not only those who served in war, but also those who stood watch in times of peace. Today, it remains one of the few national holidays focused on people rather than events. That matters.
Here in Kentucky, we carry a long and proud legacy of military service. Even before we became a state, Kentuckians were stepping up to defend liberty. The final battle of the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Blue Licks, happened right here on our soil. Since then, generations of Kentuckians have served in every major conflict, and today more than 295,000 veterans call the commonwealth home. Their courage has reached from the forests of Europe to the mountains of Korea, from Vietnam’s jungles to the deserts of the Middle East.
Veterans Day is not just about remembering where our veterans have served, but about understanding what that service cost them. It means months and years away from family, birthdays and holidays missed, jobs left behind, and futures put on hold. Some carry visible scars. Others carry burdens you cannot see. And yet they serve. Not for attention, not for reward, but because they believed in protecting something greater than themselves.
When we honor our veterans, we also honor their families. The spouses who hold everything together during deployments, the children who wait and worry, the parents who send off sons and daughters with pride and prayer. These families may not wear the uniform, but their sacrifices are every bit a part of the story.
This Veterans Day, I encourage you to look beyond the ceremonies. Say thank you, yes, but also ask questions. Listen to stories. Visit with someone who served. Most of all, remember that respect for our veterans should not begin and end on November 11. It should be lived out in how we support them in our communities, how we teach our children about them, and how we uphold the freedoms they fought to defend.
To every veteran in Kentucky and across this nation, thank you. You represent the very best of us. We are safer, freer, and better because of your service. May God bless you, your families, and the United States of America.
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Sen. Scott Madon, R-Pineville, represents the 29th Senate District, which includes Bell, Floyd, Harlan, Knott, and Letcher Counties. He serves as co-chair of the Budget Review Subcommittee on General Government, Finance, Personnel, and Public Retirement. He also serves on the Interim Joint Committees on Appropriations and Revenue; Economic Development and Workforce Investment; Local Government; Natural Resources and Energy; State Government; and Tourism, Small Business, and Information Technology. In addition, he is a member of the Capital Projects and Bond Oversight Committee and was recently appointed to the newly established Disaster Prevention and Resiliency Task Force. |
