SENATOR RON WYDEN’S STATEMENT
ON VETERANS DAY

November 11, 2003

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) released the following statement in commemoration of Veterans Day:

“Today, Oregonians once again come together to remember the service and sacrifice of America's veterans.

“Veterans know the price of freedom. Each has a story of sacrifice - of families left behind, of brothers and sisters lost in battle, of battle scars that that often dwell far beneath the skin. Yet Americans serve, as is inscribed at Arlington Cemetery, ‘Not for fame or reward, not lured by ambition or goaded by necessity, but in simple obedience to duty...’

“We should also take a moment today to remember the young men and women in uniform today. These young Americans are part of an unbroken chain of patriots who have answered their nation’s call to serve.

“This Veterans Day, we should also re-dedicate ourselves to better serving the veterans who served America so well. We must ensure that each veteran gets the medical care and the benefits they were promised and they have earned. We must never break faith with the men and women who wore the uniform proudly and protected America in her time of need. Let that be how we honor these brave Americans on Veterans Day.”

# # #