|
Guest column |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
|
State Rep.
Matthew H. Smith
|
|
Our veterans deserve our gratitude throughout the year
We owe our veterans a tremendous debt of gratitude for the freedom and security we enjoy. They have sacrificed - many have made the ultimate sacrifice - and deserve to be honored every day, not just on Veterans Day. Nevertheless, the holiday is upon us and we should take this opportunity to thank the brave women and men for their service.
These are the individuals who landed on Omaha Beach to free a world from the oppression and tyranny of a force of evil the world had never before seen - Nazi fascism; they are the young Americans who answered their nation's call a few years later on the frozen fields of the Korean peninsula; and they remain vigilant in their defense of freedom while standing guard on far-flung bases in the mountains of Afghanistan and patrolling the sand-swept streets of Baghdad.
As we take the day to reflect on the tremendous burden borne by our nation's veterans, it is indeed our obligation to never forget their sacrifice and it is our duty to ensure that future generations of Americans continue to remember the actions taken by the men and women of our armed forces from the Revolutionary War through the present.
It is in this vein that I am respectfully asking for your input and involvement in my local effort to honor Korean War veterans. I am planning a special event to honor all Korean War veterans living in the 42nd Legislative District, and I need your help. While we will specifically honor our local Korean War veterans, the event is a commemoration of all our local veterans - from World War II to the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns.
If you or someone you know is a Korean War veteran living in the 42nd Legislative District and would be interested in being honored at this event or serving on a citizens' advisory group to help plan the event, please contact my office at 412-571-2169 or visit my Web site at www.pahouse.com/MSmith and click on the Korean War veterans' feature.
Once there, you can provide a few simple pieces of information that will help me identify and invite area Korean War veterans to participate in this year’s ceremony. This information will be kept confidential at all times.
This Veterans Day, please join me in a heartfelt appreciation for Pennsylvania’s veterans.
###