Veterans Day Quotes

Veterans Day quotes are rare. It’s a holiday that should receive more attention than it does, but for those who do remember every November 11, it means a great deal. It is a holiday meant to celebrate the bravest of people, many of whom were still children when they chose to serve and sacrifice.

1. “It is easy to take liberty for granted when you have never had it taken from you.” The author of this Veterans Day quote is unknown, but we can be sure of one thing. Whoever this person was, he was a soldier. Soldiers are blessed with a view of war that no one else is privy to. They see both sides: those fighting to keep their freedom and those fighting to get theirs. Unfortunately, soldiers are also well aware that in war there is always a loser.
2. “In war there are no unwounded soldiers.” José Narosky had it right with this Veterans Day quote. Soldiers, even those never wounded physically, never come home from war without injury. They spend their days overseas fighting in a mindset where everyone who isn’t in their uniform is the enemy and they see buddies go down under fire. Physical injuries are the least of a soldier’s worries.
3. “Freedom is never free.” Another unknown author that was probably a soldier. This Veterans Day quote is right: Freedom is never free. It takes the kind of passion and fearlessness that is so rare it only comes in desperate times. An entire generation answered the call to fight in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the extraordinary Gulf War. Now, another generation has answered that call to fight in the Middle East.
4. “When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep?” George Canning’s Veterans Day quote speaks to a darker side of what can happen to veterans. Not everyone remembers that even though the war has ended, veterans are still fighting. No one comes home from war unscathed and soldiers do not simply leave the battlefield and never think about it again. It sticks with them and it has been proven in the past that sometimes the American public forgets that the war is not the fault of the soldiers. Even after Vietnam ended, it took lives and the American public abandoned its returning soldiers. It is a mistake that has taken years to rectify.
5. “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” John Fitzgerald Kennedy was a soldier and his Veterans Day quotes speaks to the heart of many. Soldiers, more than most, live by their words. They swore to do whatever it takes to protect America, to never leave their fellow soldiers behind, to never retreat and to always honor the fallen. For many soldiers the simplest thank you is a "Thank you" and the understanding that they never stop fighting, so you should never stop being thankful.