While our primary focus today is honoring our nation’s veterans, I did want to highlight a couple of legislative items from this week.  Yesterday, I introduced a bill to reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act to ensure that our nation is prepared to respond to a wide range of medical and public health emergencies, whether naturally occurring or the result of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear terrorist attack.  The threats facing our nation are serious and we must be prepared for them. This reauthorization strengthens national preparedness for and responses to medical and public health emergencies and disasters.  Read more about this bill here.

On Wednesday night, the Senate passed legislation awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the Montford Point Marines, the first African Americans to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps.  This vote coincided with the 236th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps this week.  

The Montford Point Marines led the way for future generations of African-Americans who have strengthened our military across the ranks and reached the highest levels of our military’s leadership.  Their bravery and perseverance should be remembered as an example of patriotism and loyal service despite the significant challenges they faced.   You can read more about these courageous veterans on my blog.
 

Sen. Burr greets veterans at WWII Memorial

This week, I was honored to welcome some more real American heroes to our nation’s capital, World War II veterans from Western North Carolina who traveled to Washington on an Honor Flight trip.  These brave men made grave sacrifices as they courageously served our country, and the World War II Memorial stands as a constant reminder of their fortitude in the face of danger.  Unfortunately, many soldiers who survived the war never had the opportunity to visit this monument erected in their honor.  

The Honor Flight program has provided thousands of veterans the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. and visit this grand memorial built in honor of their efforts.  Many of the veterans I visited with yesterday were seeing the memorial for the first time.  As I listened to their stories and thanked them for their service, I was proud to stand by their side as they relived a piece of history.  

This Veterans Day, please take a moment to like my Facebook page and scroll through some of the photos from Tuesday’s Honor Flight.  I hope that you are as inspired by these Honor Flight veterans as I always am.  

As North Carolinians, we are proud to claim many of our country's servicemen and women, active and retired, as our own. In addition to serving our country and defending the freedoms we hold so dear, they are our neighbors, friends, parents, children, co-workers, and siblings.

This Veterans Day, we thank them for their dedication, we commemorate their service, and we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We also send our thoughts and prayers out to those men and women in uniform currently on duty here at home, on watch at sea, on post in countries across the globe and in harm's way.
 

Our veterans have endured the pain of being separated from their families and loved ones, the trials of repeated deployments, and the harsh realities of combat. They have done so quietly and professionally for generation after generation. Veterans Day is more than a day to commemorate the service of America's defenders; it also serves as a reminder of all that we owe them as a nation.

Those who have fought and sacrificed return home forever changed by their experience. Some carry the obvious physical wounds of conflict, while others return home without the same sense of belonging in their communities. As time passes and the memories of past and current wars recede in our minds, we must realize that for the men and women who bore the burden of war on the battlefield, invisible scars and stress of service can often be more difficult to treat than physical wounds. We must remind ourselves that their toughest days of rehabilitation and re-integration may often lie ahead and that it is our duty as citizens to provide these men and women and their families with the respect and compassion they deserve.