Thank a Veteran Past and Present

By Ed Ball, Shelby Co., OH, CVSO presented to American Legion Heiland Post 446

Good afternoon everyone, and a special thanks and appreciation for the invitation to be
your guest speaker today. I am honored and humbled to stand before you today, this
nations men and women that have donned the uniform and served in defense of this
great nation, when called.
Shelby County had 3,512 veterans at the beginning of this year. The demographics of
WWII veterans in Ohio shows the population at 42,383 with 555 WWII veterans dying
daily nationwide. Ohio is proud to note that we have the sixth highest veteran
population across the United States at 877,894.
In our youth, many of us here today, lived normal childhoods. Perhaps our upbringing,
our culture, and family traditions may have varied, but yet when the time came, when
our nation called upon us to serve, we answered that call.
When our ancestors and our forefathers made their way into this vast wilderness of a
raw nation in the 16 to 1700s, they fought against the tyranny of oppressors and foreign
domination. For you see, they had a vision, and that vision was marked by opportunity,
self rule, all of which centered around family values, integrity, loyalty and devotion to
their fellow man and faith in their God.
Soon this nation, in its birth, was settled as the 13 colonies. Great Britain attempted to
capitalize on projected tax revenue, unfairly I might add, and thus our forefathers
participated as soldiers in the Revolutionary War during 1776-1783. 217,000 Americans
answered their countrys call. 4,435 gave their lives during that period, so that others
might live in what we now know as freedom.
As our nation progressed, so did wars, The War of 1812, Indian Wars 1817-1898,
Mexican War 1846-1848, Civil War 1861-1864, Spanish American War 1898-1902,
World War I 1917-1918, World War II 1941-1945, Korean War 1950-1953, Vietnam War
1964-1975, Desert Shield/Desert Storm 1990-1991, and Global War on Terror 2001 to
this day.
To put it further into perspective, 41,892,128 men and women have donned this nations
uniform during periods of war. 651,031 made the ultimate sacrifice for their country in
battle, and 1,431,290 were wounded during their service. Today our living veterans, for
war periods and peacetime, are estimated at 23,234,000.

For each and every one of us gathered here today, can take pride in our
accomplishments made in service to a grateful nation that others may live their lives in
freedom. With their God given free-will, under the security of our nations Constitution
and Bill of Rights, and military strength second to none. For without you, and those that
made the ultimate sacrifice, we would have none of these today.
As President Abraham Lincoln once penned in his letter to Mrs Bixby, who had lost five
of her sons in the Union Army during the Civil War, once stated The solemn pride that
must be yours, to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the Altar of Freedom. Rings true,
even today, as each of us that have survived, reflect upon our dear friends that we have
lost, and have gone on before us. May we take solitude in their contributions, and relish
the moments we were blessed with their presence amongst us. For today they lie
peacefully in deep sleep, awaiting their resurrection, while their spirit has returned to
their Creator, where unconditional love prevails in His presence, and they can do no
wrong, for love triumphs over all in Heaven.
Let us remember in John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his
life for his friends.

For each and every veteran gathered here, and those that could not be here with us
today, we sincerely Thank You for your service, you truly have made a difference, may
God Bless you, and May God Bless the United States of America.