I am extremely honored today to speak on behalf of the veterans of this nation and I would like to begin with a question. I’d like to ask what is one thing all veterans of this country have in common?
Immediately several things pop into your mind. It may be that veterans have all known the hardships that are inherent in serving in the military…the long hours, the austere conditions, the continual duty of working every day in a combat zone, in dangerous conditions during a deployment, for months on end, for multiple tours. The separation from family and missing birthdays of your loved ones, absence during the holidays, long spells of not being in contact with your family.
Or for many of our service members during the past decade and a half,