November 14, 2005

Dear Fellow Nebraskans:

In times of war, we are easily reminded of the sacrifices individuals and their loved ones make in the name of freedom. Yet we rarely take the time to consider what those sacrifices mean to our communities, neighborhoods, friends and families.

Regardless of where you live in our great state, a law enforcement agency, school, farm, ranch, fire department or business has been affected by our nation’s military needs.

Many have lost friends, neighbors, employees or loved ones as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Lt. Governor Rick Sheehy and I have attended the funerals of many Nebraskans who died for the American ideal. As a veteran myself, I care deeply about honoring our soldiers’ commitments. They deserve our utmost respect.

With Veterans Day celebrations and National Veterans Week this month, we have rare opportunities as communities and as a state to recall all who served for us. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, there are more than 159,000 veterans in Nebraska.

We are at a point as a nation where we can honor several generations of heroes at once – from those who served in World War II, Korea or Vietnam through those who have served in Desert Storm, the Balkans and the war on terror.

Each performed a service that we can never repay. However, it is also important to remember the friends and loved ones who did not go to war. Their sacrifices have been every bit as real as the soldiers, airmen and marines they love who were called to fight. They have held the home front together while fathers and mothers went to war. They, too, deserve our admiration.

Wherever your travels take you this month, make sure to take some time to remember those who fought for us. If you know the family of a veteran, take a few moments to thank them for what their loved one is doing. If you know a neighbor who lost a loved one at war, make sure they know their loss meant something to you.

It is the knowledge of those lost friends, relatives and classmates that should remind us all of how blessed we are as a state and as a nation. That is why as neighbors, Nebraskans and Americans, we owe it to the generations to honor our fallen heroes and the heroes who made it home.