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Like many in my generation, I look back on my career and am exceedingly grateful that it began with service to my country. With military experience comes a distinct set of values that simply can’t be taught in a classroom or by starting out in the mailroom. These values are what make military men and women the ideal candidates for any job — particularly jobs in the business world. I learned many of these values from an early age, but they were truly ingrained in me as a student at the U.S Naval Academy and while serving our country in...

The ceremony at Honolulu's picturesque Punchbowl Cemetery was Ms Gillard's first official engagement of her trip for the APEC leaders' summit. Just a few kilometres from the site of the infamous Pearl Harbor attack of World War 2, Ms Gillard was given a 19-gun salute as she arrived at the cemetery. She told the crowd of veterans and their families it was a great privilege to be with them. "In this beautiful and hallowed American place where so many of America's own lie in graves which they found too soon you would be well entitled to say: They died for...

The mayor of Richmond, Calif. plans to skip her city’s Veterans Day memorial events to attend an Occupy rally, a choice that’s prompting anger and criticism. Mayor Gayle McLaughlin will miss a Veterans Day salute Friday in favor of an Occupy Richmond “public speak out,” the San Jose Mercury News reported. McLaughlin defended her decision, telling the newspaper that the city is not sponsoring the Veterans Day event, and the rally she will attend will honor Scott Olsen, the Iraq war veteran injured at an Occupy Oakland rally last month. Richmond and Oakland, both in the San Francisco Bay Area,...

Veteran's Day Tribute Paying tribute to America's veterans, Presidential hopeful Herman Cain teams up with highly decorated Colonel Michael Steele to offer a powerful and moving message to the men, women, and families of our armed services. Colonel Steele was the company commander of the Third Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment, during Operation Gothic Serpent, the basis for the book and subsequent movie, "Blackhawk Down." Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11th, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I, formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918....

by Sarah Palin on Friday, November 11, 2011 at 11:54am I proudly display a bumper sticker that proclaims “If you love your freedom, thank a vet!” It was on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 that the armistice between Germany and the Allied nations was formed. A year later the White House commemorated the day as one to be “filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory.” Years later 11-11 was officially declared Veterans Day. We are thankful for...

Actor Gary Sinise is easily recognizable for his role as Det. Mac Taylor on "CSI:NY" as well as for his Oscar-nominated performance as Lt. Dan in "Forrest Gump." But Veterans Day provides a chance to look at another, arguably more important, role that he plays -- as advocate for U.S. military men and women. In addition to having received an Emmy ("George Wallace") and a Golden Globe ("Truman"), Sinise is the recipient of the 2008 Presidential Citizens Medal -- one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon a civilian, second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Through...

I recently attended a wonderful celebration with several generations of our military heroes. One of the few advantages of working in Washington is the occasional chance to do something special. Last Saturday night offered just such an opportunity. And, so, my wife and I attended the annual dinner of the American Veterans Center (AVC). The banquet room was filled with veterans who had participated in some of the greatest achievements of the American armed forces. That evening, we were in the middle of history. AVC’s mission is to preserve and promote the legacy of America’s servicemen and women from every...

It is the Soldier, not the minister Who has given us freedom of religion. It is the Soldier, not the reporter Who has given us freedom of the press. It is the Soldier, not the poet Who has given us freedom of speech. It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer Who has given us freedom to protest. It is the Soldier, not the lawyer Who has given us the right to a fair trial. It is the Soldier, not the politician Who has given us the right to vote. It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, Who serves...

In February of 1775, the British Parliament declared the Massachusetts colony in open rebellion, authorizing British troops the power to kill the rebels. Lt. General Thomas Gage gave the order to destroy stores and quell the rebellion. So began the Battle of Lexington, the American Revolution and the quest for liberty. And on this day, we remember all of those who have served in that capacity, granting us the ability to indeed pursue liberty and happiness. From Breed's Hill to Afghanistan, the U.S. Military has secured those unalienable rights, insuring it will indeed be passed on to our posterity. So...

It's Veterans Day and I salute all Vets.

~ The FReeper Canteen Remembers ~ ~ Veterans Day 2011 ~ Veterans Day gives Americans the opportunity to celebrate the bravery and sacrifice of all U.S. veterans. However, most Americans confuse this holiday with Memorial Day, reports the Department of Veterans Affairs. What's more, some Americans don't know why we commemorate our Veterans on Nov.11. It's imperative that all Americans know the history of Veterans Day so that we can honor our former service members properly. Memorial Day honors service members who died in service to their country or as a result of injuries incurred during battle. Deceased veterans...

As the monument nears its 25th anniversary, the Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a tribute in granite that stirs pride, inspiration, and never-ending sadness. America changed during the Vietnam War, but the nation has changed even more since the end of the war, according to the men who fought it. When soldiers returned stateside after their combat service, civilians mocked, insulted and spat upon them. Some branded the veterans as failures for allowing the communists to overrun the former French colony, while others called the soldiers “baby killers,” a reference to the large number of civilian deaths that occurred during...

CLOVIS, Calif. — This little town not far from Fresno may be the perfect place to observe Veterans Day as our nation closes a decade of war. A quiet San Joaquin Valley community in the heart of our most populous state, Clovis has lost 10 of its sons — eight of them from local Buchanan High School — in Afghanistan and Iraq. Though the Defense Department apparently doesn't keep statistics on per capita losses for American communities, Clovis may be for this war what Bedford, Va., was for World War II. According to local records, 19 "Bedford Boys" —...

There has been a trickle of information on the 11-11-11 Veterans Rally this Friday at the Washington Monument grounds. I have received this info from one of the organizers of the rally. PERMITS: Finalizing permit as I write this. LOCATION: Hopefully at the northeast corner of the Monument grounds. 0600 - Members muster to set up stage. 1000 - Scheduled Events begin MORE INFO - Check The Patriots News for a schedule of events and additional details as they become available.

It happened almost a hundred years ago - the Great War, the World War - now known as World War One, as there would be more than one great world war in the 20th century. For many of us, our great grandparents, grandparents, and even parents may have fought in this war. To all of us still living, the Great War seems like ancient history. Volumes were written about this war, which H.G. Wells called - "The War That Will End War." For a summary, below is a brief history of the First World War: .... The "armistice" to end...

Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.“Just existing became what was important,” says 87-year-old Frank Kravetz of Pittsburgh, captive of the “hell-hole” that was Nuremberg Prison Camp. “Yet even as I struggled with the day-to-day sadness and despair, I never once had any regrets that I signed up to serve.” An extended tour of Nazi camps as a wounded POW scratching for survival wasn’t what Frank had in mind when he signed up to serve his country in World War II. He refused his parents’ wishes to stay home; they already had two sons...

*snip* A veterans groups called The Veteran Defenders of America has now answered that question. In a documented Call-to-Action titled a – A Declaration to Restore the Constitutional Republic – former Military and Law Enforcement Officers have come together to demand that all oath-takers immediately execute their oaths in preservation of the Constitutional Republic. At present, every member of the Military, Law Enforcement, Justice, Congress and federal employment is in direct violation of their oaths. As they stand idly by allowing an anti-American transformation of our constitutional form of government, they do so in direct violation of the oaths they...

Whalen escorted his group and three local media members to the Carl Vinson for their first operational and planning session on the flight deck, where the game is scheduled to be played shortly after 4 p.m. It could go off without a glitch. “For us, it’s fairly easy,” ESPN coordinating producer Dave Miller was saying. It is not a logistic nightmare, and those involved have complete cooperation from the Navy. A temporary stadium seating 7,000 (my understanding is the crowd will be invitation-only) will be constructed around the basketball floor put down on the flight deck. Plenty of room.

ESPN has reached an agreement with the Morale Entertainment Foundation to televise Michigan State vs. North Carolina in the Carrier Classic 11-11-11, the first men's college basketball game to be played on the deck of a United States military aircraft carrier, on Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. ET. The United States military ship to host the unique Veteran's Day event honoring the men and women in the armed forces is to be determined but will be positioned in the San Diego harbor. As part of the telecast, ESPN will televise a special halftime entertainment show and post-game concert organized...

The meaning of freedom to middle school and high school students changes considerably after they get to interview a military veteran. “Now I can see,” Cora Bishop, an eighth-grade student at the Acadia Christian School in Ellsworth, said Thursday as she read from her essay on the topic “What freedom means to me after interviewing a veteran.” Bishop interviewed veteran Richard Giffard of Brewer, who was drafted into the Korean War and later served in Vietnam. “He gave his all, all the time,” she said during a Veterans Day ceremony attended by Giffard and many other veterans on Thursday at...

Thought for the week: Since yesterday was Veteran’s Day, I thought this was appropriate. Back in September, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies teacher at Robinson High School, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom. When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks. 'Ms. Cothren, where're our desks?' She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how...

This is a great video sharing some thoughts from troops who are out there everyday protecting our country.

Today is Veterans Day, and I know we throw parades and make sure calendar companies know that this is the day to print "Veterans Day" in size 4 font on their product, but I'm not sure thats enough anymore. Hollywood is on the edge of starting its awards season, and thinking about that got me thinking that maybe they could let us borrow their red carpets and paparazzi for the Veterans Day parades, they don't need them yet anyway.... Now, you might be thinking, are there enough of both to spread around the entire country? No! So the second...

Motifs of the American flag have become a regular addition to Google's artistic repertoire celebrating patriotic holidays but today's Veterans Day doodle has sparked a measure of controversy. In the past Google personified its doodle with red, white and blue letters but the addition of an Islamic crescent moon-looking "e" has all the Internet abuzz. Tweets via Twitter have included a broad range of hostile opinions about 'Old Glory' appearing with the shadow of a stylized Islamic crescent moon--especially on Veterans Day. The Google doodle is definitely stirring up fears of fanning the flames of anti-Islamic sentiments in America. Was...

I had a Redbox movie I needed to return (Robin Hood, if you're wondering) and I needed to pick up a few things from the grocery store, so I decided to put on my old USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) ballcap and take advantage of the free breakfast for veterans at the local Maryville Hy-Vee Food Store. When I walked into the store I saw the eating area fuller than I had ever seen it. There were even tables set up outside the seating area for overflow customers. Before I could make a move towards the cashier, legendary store greeter (and...

Joy Tiz ©2010 Today, we sometimes hear that democracy stands in the way of economic progress. -Barack Obama This wasn’t the first time Obama marveled at the ability of Indonesia to withstand the horrors of democratization. "Indonesia survived, at least on the surface, financial meltdown and democratization." (Audacity of Hope). Obama has never given Suharto credit for his unbroken commitment to fight communism. Rather, he refers to Suharto’s regime as “brutally repressive” and blames the United States for supporting Suharto’s regime. Obama does not bother himself to ponder what life would have been like for the people of Indonesia had...

Record producer Pete Waterman and his daughter Toni are profoundly moved by the battlefields where their forefathers fought during the First World War. My grandfather, Walter Lord, the one I grew up with, taught me how to cheat at dominoes. When, a few months later, he discovered that I was indeed cheating, he chased me up the road until he couldn't run any farther. I remember even in the Fifties he would never accept the third light of a match; his superstitious logic was that enemy soldiers in a neighbouring trench would spot the lighting of the first cigarette from...

 When it comes to being an All-American supermodel, Marisa Miller knows she needs to be more than just a pretty face and fabulous figure. The swimsuit stunner confirmed to Pop Tarts that she has shed her “Victoria’s Secret” wings and is now devoting time to projects supporting the U.S military. (edit)Speaking of the military, Miller has also teamed up with Harley-Davidson to show support for the brave men and women who serve in the U.S military. Ever since the first American troops rode Harleys during the Mexican Expedition in 1916, the motor company has committed itself to showing appreciation to...

Pray For Our American Heroes and Our NationVeterans Day 2010 Paul's Letter To The EphesiansChapter 6 10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be...

On this Remembrance Day and Veterans Day, two poems to honor the fallen heroes who sacrified all –in defense of their respective countries and our freedom. The first, In Flanders Fields, written by a Canadian soldier and the other, The Final Inspection, the author is unknown. In Flanders Fields By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army In Flanders Fields the poppies blow Between the crosses row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt...

Why We Continue the Fight The challenge for this generation of veterans is to harness our shared lessons to ensure that America’s best days remain ahead. Since the towers fell in 2001, America’s newest warrior generation has liberated two countries, battled two insurgencies, surged to victory in Iraq, and begun working toward the same outcome in Afghanistan. In the face of multiple tours, strategic errors, unforeseen injuries, and political posturing, our troops have forged ahead. Having completed tours in Guantanamo Bay and pre-surge Iraq, I’ve seen the horrors of war and the virtues of valor, and I will soon spend...

I served from 1980-1982 U.S. ARMY C Company 9th. Medical Battalion in Ft. Lewis, WA. Thank you to my fellow freepers who also served peace time and war time, and a special thanks to those that have disabilities and family members who have made the ultimate sacrifice, you are all in my prayers this Veterans Day. God Bless, Dave

Peace To All The Family’s And Their Loved Ones. Thank You To ALL Our Fellow Americans That Serve(d) OUR Country In A Civilian Or Military Position. http://iraqsinconvenienttruth.com/2010/11/10/veterans-day-2011/ Thank You to All Your Family’s. Past ~ Present ~ Future ______ Bless You ALL ~ Peace AMERICA! Dan

The 50th-anniversary commemoration of the Vietnam War should be a time of reflection and redemption, when a grateful country pays a long-standing debt to veterans who nobly fought in the conflict but came home to scorn and spit. But if a Pentagon bureaucrat has his way, the Viet vets will be denied their rightful honors once again.... The proposed budget for the commemorations was $100 million, which was less than the amount spent on the World War II and Korean War commemoration efforts. For example, the 1984 commemoration of the Normandy landings alone cost $38 million.... Enter Michael L. Rhodes,...

Frank W. Buckles, age 109, still gives interviews about World War I, of which he is the last living American veteran. By contrast, about 2.08 million American veterans of World War II remain among us, but nearly 1,000 die each day. More than 2.5 million Korean War veterans are still alive, and more than 7.5 million Vietnam vets. Gulf War vets number more than 2.25 million. In all, living veterans from war and peacetime service amount to nearly 24 million, including 1.4 million Americans currently on active duty. This amounts to less than 8 percent of the U.S. population. The...

  Last year Applebee’s served over a million free meals to American service personnel on Veteran’s Day. And this year they’re ready to do it again, offering up a free entrée to all veterans and active duty military who come in on Thursday, November 11. They’ll dine from a special “Vet’s Day Menu,” including bacon cheeseburgers, Fiesta Lime Chicken and Double Crunch Shrimp. We love this deal, as well as they’re slogan—that they’re “proud to serve those who serve us.” You will, of course, need to provide verification of service, through one of the following methods: U.S. Uniform Services Identification...

Army cadets have been left ‘bitterly disappointed’ after being banned from carrying rifles on a Remembrance Day parade - amid fears the weapons might 'upset' onlookers. The young cadets have proudly marched with rifles for decades and around 100 had spent months fine-tuning the drill where they would showcase their skills. But the cadets were left 'gutted' just days before the big event when military top brass cut the rifles from the display following complaints from members of the public.

      PIERRE, S.D. — Next week, America will observe its 56th Veterans Day. It hasn't always been so. In 1938, Congress declared Nov. 11 — designated Armistice Day — a federal holiday to commemorate the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when World War I ended. In 1954, at the urging of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Congress changed the name of the holiday to Veterans Day to honor American veterans of all wars. Then politics intervened.In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson pressed his cronies in Congress to pass the so-called "Uniform Monday...

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Former President George W. Bush will be in Ohio to speak at a Veterans Day tribute. Bush will be at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force near Dayton on Nov. 11. The event comes as he promotes the release of his memoir, "Decision Points." The museum will offer free tickets Monday and opportunities to pre-purchase autographed copies of the book. Ohio provided the decisive electoral votes for the Republican president's 2004 re-election.

We've all seen the photo: But does it tell the whole truth? I'm as anti Obama as anyone but the fact is Obama did have his hand on his heart, just not at the last second of a long musical note. Let me explain: Here is the video. Look at 2:33-2:37 the video clearly shows he does have hand on heart and then the camera pans away. Camera returns at 2:56 and Obama still has hand on heart till 2:59 when camera pans away again. The problem is when do you put your hand back down? As can be clearly...

Some members of local veterans groups who attended an Every Day is Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 8 in Berwick, Maine, said they were surprised to find it was a kickoff for a new Maine affiliate of the national Oath Keepers organization, which has been described as part of a rebirth of the nation's right-wing militia movement. An August report from the Southern Poverty Law Center describes the parent organization as a "particularly worrisome example of the Patriot revival," involving groups with a virulent anti-government sentiment, though organizers of the newly formed Maine affiliate say they are far from being an...

If there are any doubts at all that the press is a willing enabler to bolster Obama's image as Commander in Chief, CBS Sunday Morning just erased them. For a Veterans Day tribute, a reporter for the New York Daily News just narrated his experience at Arlington when, coincidently (cough, cough) the President just happened to make his visit. He lovingly describes the heartfelt actions of Obama, his spontaneous (cough, cough) trip to Section 60, and his tender concern for the families and friends of the fallen. This heartbreaking scenario was told along with dozens spur-of-the-moment snapshots of our caring...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2009 – Generations of American servicemembers braved and survived the din, destruction and uncertainty of war to return home to enjoy the freedoms they helped to preserve for their fellow citizens. Retired Navy Rear Adm. Robert H. Shumaker is a famous U.S. military veteran who coined the term “Hanoi Hilton” when he was a prisoner of war from 1965 to 1973 in North Vietnam. Any person –- civilian or military –- who thinks they may have emotional problems should seek professional help, he said. DoD photo by Gerry J. Gilmore  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Yet,...

He didn't introduce himself. He didn't have to. President Obama simply stuck out his hand and asked for my name as he stepped toward me amid a bone-chilling drizzle in the Gardens of Stone. This was Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery. I wasn't there as a reporter, but to visit some friends and family buried there when Obama made an unscheduled stop - a rare presidential walk among what Lincoln called America's "honored dead" - after laying a Veterans Day wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. What I got was an unexpected look into the eyes of a...

BRANSON, Mo. -- They have come from every state in the union -- more than 50,000 veterans and their families. They are here to celebrate "Veterans Homecoming Week" in a city that "never forgets our heroes," where businesses proclaim to "hire veterans first" and entertainers proudly announce the units with which they served -- to the applause and cheers of fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen, guardsmen and Marines. They come for reunions with comrades from campaigns in faraway places and to remember their shared sacrifice in long-ago battles. They come here because Tony Orlando's "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole...

Veterans listen to U.S. President Barack Obama speak during a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia November 11, 2009. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (UNITED STATES POLITICS MILITARY IMAGES OF THE DAY)

I can’t begin to imagine how hard it would be to leave my family for months at a time, especially if my destination were Iraq or Afghanistan. And I don’t know how I could deal with my wife being deployed overseas. These reunion videos—for me, at least—shed a tiny beam of light on how emotionally draining being a military family can be. They’ll also make you want a dog. To commemorate Veterans Day, here are some overjoyed dogs greeting returning soldiers.