A Thank You for Our Veterans
Today we honor Veterans Day, a day dedicated to recognizing and paying tribute to those who have served in the U.S. military.
There are approximately 17.5 million veterans in the United States, representing a diverse cross section of this nation. They come from all walks of life and are brought together and united by their service to a cause greater than themselves. It is a profound commitment made by veterans—one of sacrifice and service in defense of this nation and its citizens.
For those among us who have never worn the uniforms of our military branches, we will never fully comprehend the depth of their sacrifices, big and small, made by these remarkable veterans and their families. When we think of sacrifice in this context, we tend to picture the ultimate sacrifice of a service member killed in war. Images from films and shows play in our minds and it becomes easy to forget the everyday sacrifices. These are the moments of daily life put on hold that many of us take for granted.
How many holidays and birthdays were missed due to deployments? How many service members missed the birth of a child? Or the funeral for a passed grandparent, aunt, uncle, mother, father or friend? How much of life was put on hold to defend our freedoms?
For many veterans, the sacrifices do not end when they return home. How many moments have been impacted by the continuing struggles so many of our veterans face? Ongoing struggles with mental health, injuries sustained in the line of duty, toxic exposure from the battlefield and, sometimes, at home are all very real issues faced by those who served. The impact and sacrifices made by veterans are often shared by their families, too.
As veterans serve their country, the family members who support them also share many of those sacrifices. These families, too, have paid a price, with loved ones facing illness and hardship linked to military service. For example, families (as well as civil servants) stationed at base Camp Lejeune, suffer long term and ongoing health issues as a result of toxic exposures from contaminated water.
For decades, Motley Rice attorneys and staff have been proudly standing with veterans, beginning with our pioneering work in asbestos litigation. Ron and I were driven by the idea of using the civil justice system to hold those accountable for exposing workers, many veterans and their family members, to toxic asbestos. Our early discoveries and success in this area laid the foundation for the firm’s commitment to fighting for those who serve. Sadly, asbestos and mesothelioma were not the end of the toxins harming our countries veterans. We have heard hundreds of stories of men and women sickened by toxic burn pit exposures, harmed by PFAS exposure in military firefighting foam, injured by ear plugs, died by defective parts in military equipment, and their lives changed by contaminated drinking water.
These stories have moved us and inspired us to fight for our veterans including our support of legislation such as the Honoring Our PACT Act in hopes to protect the future of our veterans and their families. Tragically, we know these stories are not the only ones we will hear from veterans and their families.
Though we can never fully repay those who have served for their sacrifices, we hope to honor them by remembering those sacrifices, fighting for their rights and taking time to express gratitude.
At Motley Rice, we proudly stand with veterans, and many stand among us as attorneys and staff. These team members have served in all branches of the service, across the globe, in times of peace and war. Each of them embodies the qualities we’ve come to associate with our service members—honor, duty, and service to others before themselves.
It has been said that one true mark of courage is to stand in front of freedom and defend it for others. The brave men and women who bear the title “veteran” embody this courage as much today as when they wore their uniforms. We can never repay the tremendous debt owed to those who served. The best we can do is be mindful of every Soldier, Sailor, Marine, Airman, and Coast Guard at home or overseas and the price they have all agreed to potentially pay for our freedom. We do hope to honor them by remembering those sacrifices, fighting for their rights and taking time to express our gratitude.
Today, we say thank you. We reaffirm our commitment to stand with and fight for you, our veterans, just as you have fought for all of us. Thank you for your service and your sacrifices. They are appreciated and will never be forgotten.