Veteran's Day - a FEMA salute to our servicemen and women

FEMA Salutes our Veterans Our nation's servicemen and women are among our best and brightest, during times of peace or war, serving with honor under the most difficult circumstances and making sacrifices for their country.

Our nation sets aside November 11th each year to honor the... nation's 23 million living veterans and the generations before them who fought to defend our freedom. I want to take this opportunity to recognize the thousands of veterans over the past 30 years who elected to continue serving their country by joining the FEMA team.

President Obama issued a proclamation in honor of the holiday that specifically mentioned the important work of this group of veterans. He said, “We also pay tribute to all who have worn the uniform and continue to serve their country as civilians. Many veterans act as coaches, teachers, and mentors in their communities, selflessly volunteering their time and expertise.” In addition, I applaud the many members of the FEMA family who also continue to serve in the National Guard and Reserves.

Whether serving in uniform or serving as a member of the FEMA team, these individuals share the goals of protecting our nation and loved ones from harms way. We acknowledge their contributions to our national security, and underscore the fact that ALL who served – not only those who died – have sacrificed and done their duty.We also recognize and salute the many active duty service members and veterans in our partner agencies in federal, state, local and tribal organizations that share our emergency management goals. I know each of us, whether a veteran or not, knows a colleague who is a veteran.

I encourage you to recognize their valor and sacrifice in honor of Veteran’s Day. I urge you to begin with a simple, “thank you for your service.”Please visit our veteran’s tribute page at: http://www.fema.gov/about/veteransday/index.shtm and the Administrator’s video message at: http://online.fema.net