SENATOR NOZZOLIO: THANK YOU TO OUR VETERANS

Just as our veterans recognized their duty to honor and serve our country, we too must recognize our duty as Americans to honor the profound sacrifices they made so that we could live our lives in freedom.

We can never forget the courage and bravery demonstrated by the millions of men and women who have left their homes, their families and their communities to serve our Country and who continue to risk their lives each and every day in order to protect us.

As we pause to remember and honor our veterans on this Veterans Day, we also remember the members of our armed services currently serving at home and abroad.

There is no greater obligation than to honor and thank our veterans for their service to our nation, whether in times of peace or in times of war. The extent and importance of the sacrifices our veterans have made has never been more clear than they are today in the ongoing war against terrorism and continued operations overseas.

With thousands and thousands of veterans coming home from operations abroad, we must prepare for their return and ensure that they receive the care and benefits they deserve. We must work to ensure that prescription drugs are affordable, health care is accessible and that Veteran’s Hospitals are provided with the proper tools and support they need.

Noble sacrifices of past generations deserve to be remembered and cherished. That is why I have worked closely with veterans groups to establish the Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery, located on the hallowed ground of the former Sampson Naval and Air Force bases, where over one million sailors and airmen trained in preparation for battle to defend the United States of America.  

The Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery was officially dedicated on July 30, 2011 and it  is the final resting place for over 160 veterans and their family members. Just a few short miles from here - in the heart of the Finger Lakes - there is a place where our heroes are laid to rest, tobe known forever as the Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

For more information on the Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery contact Bill Yale, Executive Director of the Sampson Cemetery at (607) 379-0197 or visit the website  www.sampsonveteranscemetery.com

It is my hope that you will join me in honoring our veterans on Veterans Day for the sacrifices they made and continue to make each and every day. God bless America, the greatest nation in the history of the world, and God bless our veterans.