Thanksgiving 2016: Remembering Those “Not At the Table”

As we gather with family and friends this week, let us give thanks for those who are not ‘at the table’ for the holidays: the men and women of our Armed Forces, all volunteers, many are serving abroad, separated from their loved ones at Thanksgiving!

We must never forget that we are a nation at war - in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and hundreds of places around the world where we fight the Global War on Terror each and every day.  And, we still have thousands of soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen on elsewhere in the Middle East, Japan, the Korean Peninsula and across the Baltics and Germany.

Yes, the list of international challenges facing America grows by the day.  But despite all that we face, we still have the strongest military, a powerful and growing economy and a fundamental strength and character that will serve us well for years to come.

Despite all the serious tests in the years ahead, if the attitude of the troops I meet is any indication, America has a bright future.  Those are “giving” men and women who are willing to serve the cause of freedom.  They, and their families, deserve our thanks each and every day.

Admittedly, there are divisions in our country today.  But almost four hundred years after the early Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving, Americans have plenty to be thankful for.  Let this holiday begin to bring us together again.

“Happy Thanksgiving!”