Honoring Our Veterans

For generations, our grandparents and great-grandparents knew what it was like to live in fear, to hear that knock on the door in the middle of the night, not knowing if they would ever see their families again. They lived through the unimaginable darkness of persecution and genocide. Yet God didn’t let their story end in sorrow. He led their children and grandchildren to America, to a land where they could live without fear.

Here in the United States, we and our children can dream without limits. We can choose our schools, our professions, our friends. We can live in any neighborhood and walk with dignity, declaring, “We are free.” That is a miracle born of both divine providence and human sacrifice. And it is not something we should take for granted.

We must remember this truth: freedom is never free. Every time we lift our hands in worship, every time our children walk safely to school, it’s because someone stood a post. Someone said, “Yes, sir.” Someone sailed into stormy seas, marched through foreign lands, and flew into danger to protect peace.

And behind every soldier stands a family—mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, children—who paid their own price. Some watched their loved ones leave and never saw them return. Some wept into the night, holding onto faith and memories. They paid the price so that we could live in liberty.

That is why we pause today—to remember, to honor, and to give thanks. On this Veterans Day, we lift our hearts in gratitude to those who wore the uniform, who carried the flag, who carried the torch of freedom so that others might walk in its light.

To our veterans—thank you. Thank you for standing guard over the blessings we now enjoy. Thank you for embodying the values of courage, duty, and honor. And thank you for giving us a gift that we, as Armenians, understand so deeply—the gift of safety, of liberty, and of peace.

May God bless you, our veterans. May He bless your families who shared in your sacrifice. And may He bless this nation—this land of the free and the home of the brave—that continues to be a beacon of light for all who seek refuge after darkness.