Today, we honor America’s veterans, young and old, who enable us to experience life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness as our founders intended. We remember acts of uncommon bravery and selflessness. We remember veteran families who kept the home fires burning whilst waiting for their loved ones to come back home. We are a grateful nation.

Find a veteran today and thank them. Kissing optional.

They have been the “watchers on our walls” since our nation’s birth: men who left behind farms and families, marching on foot at night, whilst fighting the enemy all-day-every-day for years. They had no real gear or functioning weaponry back then. They had limited supplies, no winter clothing, and some wore rags for shoes. They were even mocked relentlessly by their adversary. But… they had great heart and wanted freedom more than the enemy wanted tyranny. Fast forward two+ centuries later, and our military is the best fighting force in the world. They’ve brought hope to the oppressed and delivered justice to the violent across the globe — all the while we at home have slept safely in our beds at night.

We owe our nation’s veterans a debt we can never really repay. They gave us peace, freedom, and the ability to pursuit our own private happiness while they put life and limb on the line, without qualification, and certainly without thought of personal gain. We owe them gratitude and so much more.

I think you’ll really enjoy this incredible speech given by President Ronald Reagan on Veteran’s Day, November 11, 1985. As always, he set the example on being a grateful nation.

“The eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month…” Yes. This means something. Frankly, I have no idea what it’s like to serve myself, though I come from a long line of men who have. But I do know we owe our freedoms to the sacrifice made by our nation’s veterans, living and dead. And I love America, don’t you? God bless our veterans this day and every day. They’ve given so much and have asked for little in return.