With Sad Little Leon Panetta’s Voice in My Ears, I Present Lt. Gen. John F. Kelly’s Veteran’s Day Speech
St. Louis, MO – 11/11/10
…As we sit here right now, we should not lose sight of the fact that America is at risk in a way it has never been before. Our enemy fights for an ideology based on an irrational hatred of who we are. Make no mistake about that no matter what certain elements of the “chattering class” relentlessly churn out. We did not start this fight, and it will not end until the extremists understand that we as a people will never lose our faith or our courage. If they persist, these terrorists and extremists and the nations that provide them sanctuary, they must know they will continue to be tracked down and captured or killed. America’s civilian and military protectors both here at home and overseas have for nearly nine years fought this enemy to a standstill and have never for a second “wondered why.” They know, and are not afraid. Their struggle is your struggle. They hold in disdain those who claim to support them but not the cause that takes their innocence, their limbs, and even their lives. As a democracy—“We the People”—and that by definition is every one of us—sent them away from home and hearth to fight our enemies. We are all responsible.
I know it doesn’t apply to those of us here tonight but if anyone thinks you can somehow thank them for their service, and not support the cause for which they fight—America’s survival—then they are lying to themselves and rationalizing away something in their lives, but, more importantly, they are slighting our warriors and mocking their commitment to the nation.
Read the entire thing through to the end.
You will weep.
Military Thingies, People, Politics | tree hugging sister | 
January 5, 2012 7:57 pm
Subscribe
I read the entire thing.
And wept.
Thanks for that. I sent it to our young man; he’ll be here soon and I’ll make him lots of roesti and Wienerschnitzel!