Veterans Day Remarks
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015 | University Memorial Center
Good morning, and thank you all for your attendance today.
CU-Boulder is extremely fortunate to have a strong military community on campus with more than 800 student veterans.
We are very proud of them, not only for their service to our country, but also for their leadership on campus, and for the example they set for all students.
The leadership and life experience that our student veterans bring to campus life, the classroom, and student government, is an important factor in CU-Boulder’s success.
We also have a significant number of faculty and staff veterans.
The veterans here today, many who have served in combat, have changed the course of history.
To these courageous men and women and their families, our nation will forever be in debt for their selfless sacrifice and courage.
I encourage you to take a moment today and consider the debt of gratitude we owe our veterans. Without their service and dedication to our nation, our freedom and liberties would not be as secure as they are today.
The adage that “freedom isn’t free” is so true and it’s our veterans who have paid the highest price for that freedom.
With so much attention focused on the things that divide us as a nation, it’s far too easy to overlook something that should unite us—our gratitude for the sacrifices of our veterans.
Please take time today to reflect on how much we owe the silent heroes in our midst and acknowledge their legacy in the defense of our American ideals, principles and liberties.
The challenges that are ahead cannot be minimized. We are in a part of our nation’s history that is already being characterized as a period of continuous conflict as globalization continues to become a reality in our world.
We cannot foretell the future. But we do know that our service members are ready to guarantee our nation’s security, protect our rights and liberties, and insure our nation remains as strong and vibrant as ever.
I’d like to thank all the veterans and their families here today. Your service does not – and will not – go unappreciated. I’d also like to thank those service members and their families who are deployed right now, serving across the globe to protect our freedom.
I am asking members of our community to thank our veterans whenever you have the chance, whether it’s Veterans Day … or any day.
Thank you.