Why I am Grateful to American Veterans. Note: very emotional and mushy towards end.

Essay by 4mused January 2004

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"We must be the great arsenal of democracy." These renowned words were spoken by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940. America is a land known by many names, the arsenal of democracy, the land of opportunity, and as President George Bush puts it, "...the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world...." These names all center on one fact - America is truly the land of the free. We give people fundamental rights such as liberty, equality, justice and the pursuit of happiness, immigrants flock here by the millions to taste this liberty pie. Who do we thank for the sweet taste of freedom? Many might say the Founding Fathers, or the great presidents of this nation, but the people whom I credit this amazing accomplishment to are the millions of men and women who have fought valiantly to defend the liberty and justice which this country represents, the people which we refer to as veterans.

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In World War I, more than 350,000 men were on the casualty/dead lists, in World War II, almost 300,000 men died or were missing in action; another 675,000 were injured. In the Korean War, 30,000 men and women died; in the Vietnam War, another 40,000 soldiers died. These gallant individuals died while defending are country from unjust tyranny so as to insure that future generations such as you and I will still be able to enjoy the basic rights every human is entitled to. Millions are serve in the armed forces so that should there be an incident that threatens our democratic society, we will be protected with the same spirit and vigor that was possessed by the courageous men and women of previous wars.

Throughout history, American veterans have not only defended us from invaders, but have also stifled internal...