Scott's View: Honoring Our Sacred Anniversaries and the Legacy of Service
As the days of August shorten and we look toward September, my thoughts always turn to reflection, history, and gratitude. This season is a deeply meaningful time for our country — a period marked by milestones that defined our nation's birth, secured global peace, and tested our national resolve in the modern era. Today, I want to step away from our regular platform updates to focus entirely on these critical anniversaries, honoring the generations of patriots who have kept us free.
Two weeks from today, our nation will mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Although the date is still a fortnight away, the tributes and retrospectives have already begun across the country. It is hard to believe a quarter-century has passed since that fateful morning. Today, we stand in solemn remembrance of the first responders and citizens who made the ultimate sacrifice on that tragic day. We also reaffirm our deepest gratitude for the millions of military personnel who have served, sacrificed, and stood on watch in the twenty-five years since that day to keep our families safe. Your relentless defense of our liberty is a debt we can never truly repay.
This period of late summer also calls us to remember defining triumphs of peace. On September 2, 1945, aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, the formal surrender documents were signed, bringing World War II to a close. We honor the legendary resolve of our "Greatest Generation" veterans who fought to preserve global liberty.
Just one day later on the calendar, we mark the 243rd anniversary of the Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, which officially ended the American Revolutionary War and established our sovereign nation. Commemorating this foundational milestone is especially important to us now, in light of our ongoing America 250 celebrations throughout this year. It was a proud moment earlier this August to see this legacy honored as the VA hosted ceremonies recognizing 49 Revolutionary War patriots across 16 national sites.
From the battlefields of the Revolutionary War to the silent vigils of our modern defenders, the covenant of gratitude we hold with our military community is absolute. To all of our veterans, active-duty service members, guard and reserve personnel, first responders, and the families who support them: we thank you, we honor you, and we will never forget your sacrifice.
