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      In Honor of Veterans By U.S. Senator Ted Stevens
 November 11, 2005Friday
 It has been more than 50 years since those of us who served during
      World War II returned home.  The patriotism and bravery
      I witnessed firsthand during our war is part of a larger American
      story, which began with the first shot at Lexington and Concord
      and has been written in the forest of Argonne, on the beaches
      of Normandy, and on the deck of the USS Arizona.  A new
      chapter is written every time freedom is threatened and Americans
      answer the call to defend it.
 
 Over 200 years ago, our Founding Fathers began the Great American
      Experiment.  They set out to create a government defined
      by its commitment to liberty and freedom.  The Global War
      on Terror is this century's proving ground for these ideals.
 
 "Veterans' Day is a reminder that the great American story
      of courage, bravery, and sacrifice continues.  Today, it
      is being written in the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan, where
      the men and women of our armed forces - all volunteers - are
      helping the people of those countries build their emerging democracies. 
      As Abraham Lincoln told the crowd which gathered at Gettysburg,
      the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform ensure "that
      government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall
      not perish from the earth."  We are comrades in the
      deepest sense of the word, and I salute their service.
 
    Note: Comments published
      on Viewpoints are the opinions of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sitnews.
 
         
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