President Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.

"We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream.

"It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

Truer words were never spoken. Because of the selfless service and sacrifice of our veterans, we enjoy boundless freedoms.

But those freedoms must be protected and preserved by each generation.

As a Member of Congress representing Southwest Florida, I am honored to represent the brave men and women who have defended our liberties at home and abroad and continue to do so today.

Every time I meet a veteran or servicemember, I am always struck by their resolve and unwavering dedication to the ideal of freedom and liberty on which our nation stands.

Earlier this year, we celebrated the 65th anniversary of D-Day – that fateful day when allied forces joined together on the shores of Normandy in the fight for freedom.

A number of veterans living right here in Southwest Florida played a role in that battle and others during World War II, and their stories of personal sacrifice will stay with me always.

Thurlow Miller of North Naples, for example, served on the U.S.S. Arkansas battleship, loading shells to shoot at enemy planes and looking for survivors on the beach.

Carl Lohmann of Naples served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II, bringing troops back and forth from the Pacific and Atlantic.

Hurbert Nerenberg of Fort Myers earned the Bronze Star recently for his service in the U.S. Army during World War II. During the medal ceremony in May, Hurbert spoke to me about how he saved lives as a combat medic.

These brave soldiers, and all of those who have served during times of war and times of peace, deserve the nation’s full support.

They have made a commitment to keeping our nation safe, and we must ensure that we are doing everything we can to show our gratitude for their personal sacrifices now and in the future.

That’s why I am so pleased that the construction of the new VA outpatient clinic in Cape Coral is moving forward so quickly.

This new clinic will help meet the needs of our rapidly growing veterans’ population, and I’m thrilled that construction will soon begin on the site now that a local contractor has been awarded the construction bid.

I will continue fighting for the men and women who have served our nation to ensure that they receive the benefits they have earned and deserve.

On Veterans Day, we celebrate our courageous men and women in uniform who have fought selflessly against oppression and tyranny around the world and here at home.

Because of their sacrifices, we enjoy freedoms that others in the world are fighting to obtain. Freedom is under assault every day, and thanks to our veterans, we can protect and preserve it for the next generation.

Although there is much work that remains to be done, we remain committed to doing all we can to honor and support our veterans.

America owes these men and women a debt we can never fully repay. But we must never stop trying and we can never forget what they have done.

The tens of thousands of veterans residing in Southwest Florida deserve no less from a grateful nation.