WEBVTT

00:01.000 --> 00:02.860
- [Narrator] Good afternoon and welcome

00:02.860 --> 00:05.440
to today's Veterans Day
observance ceremony.

00:05.440 --> 00:06.770
On behalf of the Commanding General,

00:06.770 --> 00:08.850
the 21st Theater Sustainment Command,

00:08.850 --> 00:10.540
Major General Chris Mohan

00:10.540 --> 00:13.078
and the 21st Theater Sustainment Command,

00:13.078 --> 00:15.483
Command Sir Major Sean Howard.

00:15.483 --> 00:17.173
Thank you for joining us today.

00:17.173 --> 00:19.617
We would like to extend a
warm welcome to Commanders,

00:19.617 --> 00:22.470
Sergeants Majors, family, and friends.

00:22.470 --> 00:23.473
At this time,

00:23.473 --> 00:25.507
please stand for the arrival
of the official party

00:25.507 --> 00:27.778
and remain standing for
the invocation delivered

00:27.778 --> 00:30.456
by Chaplain Metro and the
playing of the national anthems

00:30.456 --> 00:32.203
of the Federal Republic of Germany

00:32.203 --> 00:34.953
and the United States of America.

00:38.587 --> 00:40.150
(soft music)

00:40.150 --> 00:41.138
Today's official party consists

00:41.138 --> 00:42.664
of the Deputy Commanding Officer

00:42.664 --> 00:44.910
of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command,

00:44.910 --> 00:46.486
Colonel Douglas Levien

00:46.486 --> 00:48.953
and 21st Theater Sustainment
Command, Command Sir Major,

00:48.953 --> 00:51.453
Command Sir Major Sean Howard.

01:02.530 --> 01:03.930
- Please join me as we pray,

01:05.320 --> 01:06.610
Almighty God on this Veterans Day,

01:06.610 --> 01:09.860
we recognize that you've
moved upon great leaders

01:09.860 --> 01:12.200
to establish the United States of America.

01:12.200 --> 01:15.870
You stirred them to hope and
to dream for a land of freedom.

01:15.870 --> 01:18.440
You have inspired many
of our best and brightest

01:18.440 --> 01:21.900
to volunteer, to proudly
defend our beloved country.

01:21.900 --> 01:23.890
Today, we honor our veterans.

01:23.890 --> 01:26.720
We acknowledge that their
service enables generations

01:26.720 --> 01:28.950
of people to walk in freedom.

01:28.950 --> 01:32.090
We ask that you provide our
currently serving soldiers,

01:32.090 --> 01:35.460
sailors, airmen, and
Marines your protection,

01:35.460 --> 01:37.370
your strength, and your peace.

01:37.370 --> 01:41.210
We also give special recognition
to our wounded warriors.

01:41.210 --> 01:44.220
We realize that many of
our heroes are dealing

01:44.220 --> 01:46.540
with physical, emotional,
and spiritual wounds

01:46.540 --> 01:50.280
that occurred as a result of
their service to our country.

01:50.280 --> 01:52.960
And we ask that you would
help these wounded warriors

01:52.960 --> 01:55.690
to gain health, stability, and wholeness.

01:55.690 --> 01:57.750
Finally, we remember
our brothers and sisters

01:57.750 --> 02:00.640
who paid the ultimate sacrifice in combat.

02:00.640 --> 02:02.440
We are reminded of your words,

02:02.440 --> 02:05.770
which tells us that greater
love has no one than this,

02:05.770 --> 02:09.390
that someone lay down their
life for their friends.

02:09.390 --> 02:12.540
May each of our veterans
feel honored, not just today,

02:12.540 --> 02:13.373
but every day.

02:13.373 --> 02:14.901
In your name we pray.

02:14.901 --> 02:15.734
Amen.

02:29.888 --> 02:32.305
(soft music)

05:02.150 --> 05:04.283
- [Narrator] Ladies and
gentlemen, please be seated.

05:09.810 --> 05:12.550
Veterans Day is an official
United States holiday,

05:12.550 --> 05:15.550
which honors people who have
served in the Armed Services,

05:15.550 --> 05:17.300
also known as veterans.

05:17.300 --> 05:20.940
It is a federal holiday that
is observed on November 11th.

05:20.940 --> 05:22.620
It coincides with other holidays,

05:22.620 --> 05:25.610
such as Armistice Day and Remembrance Day,

05:25.610 --> 05:28.050
which are celebrated in
other parts of the world,

05:28.050 --> 05:31.240
and also mark the anniversary
of the end of World War I.

05:32.680 --> 05:35.770
Major hostilities of World
War I were formerly ended on

05:35.770 --> 05:40.770
the 11th hour of the 11th day
of the 11th month of 1918.

05:41.480 --> 05:45.420
Today, we recognize our many
veterans both past and present

05:45.420 --> 05:47.860
who has served our nation honorably.

05:47.860 --> 05:49.990
We also would like to
take a moment to recognize

05:49.990 --> 05:52.310
those members who have
paid the ultimate sacrifice

05:52.310 --> 05:54.850
in service to our great nation.

05:54.850 --> 05:57.820
Ladies and gentlemen, the 21st
Theater Sustainment Command,

05:57.820 --> 06:00.533
Deputy Commanding Officer
Colonel Douglas Levien.

06:12.800 --> 06:15.920
- Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,

06:15.920 --> 06:17.780
Command Sergeant Major Howard,

06:17.780 --> 06:19.490
Command Sergeant Major Waterhouse,

06:19.490 --> 06:21.150
Command Sergeant Major Inks,

06:21.150 --> 06:23.550
Lieutenant Colonel Nielsen
from our host nation.

06:24.970 --> 06:25.943
Team 21.

06:27.250 --> 06:31.120
This is a great honor today
to be making some comments

06:31.120 --> 06:32.993
at this Veterans Day ceremony.

06:33.910 --> 06:36.500
38 years ago, I was in Washington DC

06:36.500 --> 06:39.520
on Constitution Avenue with my dad

06:39.520 --> 06:42.530
during the welcome home
cerebration and the dedication of

06:42.530 --> 06:47.530
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
in 1982 as a 10 year old kid.

06:47.730 --> 06:50.060
So it's great here to go
ahead and to be a little bit

06:50.060 --> 06:52.590
more participatory
during this Veterans Day,

06:52.590 --> 06:54.130
but it was a day like this

06:54.130 --> 06:55.960
and it was a welcome home ceremony.

06:55.960 --> 07:00.650
Raining, first time I saw my
dad cry, very diverse group

07:00.650 --> 07:04.380
of veterans coming home
extremely emotional day,

07:04.380 --> 07:07.700
but also a salvatore spirit as well.

07:07.700 --> 07:09.720
And that's kind of like,
I think where we are today

07:09.720 --> 07:11.010
during Veterans Day,

07:11.010 --> 07:12.560
it runs the gamut, right?

07:12.560 --> 07:14.200
There's some grief, there's some sorrow,

07:14.200 --> 07:16.468
there's some reflection,
there's some happiness,

07:16.468 --> 07:20.520
there's some friendships
that we think about

07:20.520 --> 07:22.300
and it just continues.

07:22.300 --> 07:25.600
So thank you for honoring
us today with your presence

07:25.600 --> 07:28.460
and more importantly, honoring
the brave men and women

07:28.460 --> 07:31.690
from all walks of life
that answered the call

07:31.690 --> 07:34.203
to defend our nation
throughout our history.

07:35.070 --> 07:38.520
Veterans Day is a celebration
of all those who have served

07:38.520 --> 07:42.103
and continue to serve our nation
with honor and distinction.

07:42.970 --> 07:46.640
Each year we set this day aside
to celebrate and pay tribute

07:46.640 --> 07:51.400
to Americans veterans for
the devotion, patriotism,

07:51.400 --> 07:55.253
selfless service and
sacrifice on behalf of us all.

07:56.270 --> 07:59.690
Their loyalty to our country
and their great courage

07:59.690 --> 08:03.730
have made us what we are today
and what we've been for more

08:03.730 --> 08:04.793
than two centuries.

08:05.820 --> 08:09.120
The land of the three and
the home of the brave,

08:09.120 --> 08:12.203
a beacon of hope in an
increasingly complex world.

08:13.700 --> 08:17.280
We remember the brave men and
women who serve in places such

08:17.280 --> 08:20.920
as Gettysburg, Shiloh, and San Juan Hill.

08:20.920 --> 08:23.660
The trenches of France, the forest,

08:23.660 --> 08:27.200
the beaches of Normandy,
the deserts of Africa,

08:27.200 --> 08:30.180
the cane fields of the
Philippines and the rice patties

08:30.180 --> 08:34.473
and jungles of Guam, Okinawa,
Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.

08:35.670 --> 08:40.510
We honor those who serve in
places like Panama, Somalia,

08:40.510 --> 08:41.870
and Haiti.

08:41.870 --> 08:43.530
And over the past two decades,

08:43.530 --> 08:46.740
those who have served in Syria, Iraq,

08:46.740 --> 08:49.140
and continue to serve in
Afghanistan and throughout

08:49.140 --> 08:50.033
the Middle East.

08:51.560 --> 08:55.160
The graves at countless
cemeteries worldwide remind us

08:55.160 --> 08:57.370
that freedom is not free.

08:57.370 --> 08:59.110
It has a cost.

08:59.110 --> 09:01.870
The soldiers resting their
ribs supporting the lives

09:01.870 --> 09:04.603
and the values that create
the backbone of our nation.

09:05.580 --> 09:08.050
These soldiers share a special heritage,

09:08.050 --> 09:10.810
a common bond with today's soldiers.

09:10.810 --> 09:12.200
If you would look into their lives

09:12.200 --> 09:15.200
and whether their privates
or Generals or sergeants,

09:15.200 --> 09:18.900
you would see practice the same
army values, loyalty, duty,

09:18.900 --> 09:20.750
respect, selfless service, honor,

09:20.750 --> 09:22.963
integrity and personal courage.

09:24.050 --> 09:26.440
These were ordinary men and women who rose

09:26.440 --> 09:28.980
to meet seemingly impossible odds

09:28.980 --> 09:30.763
and did extraordinary things.

09:31.630 --> 09:34.350
These brave men and women left the safety

09:34.350 --> 09:38.200
of their own sovereign
soil to defeat tyrants,

09:38.200 --> 09:41.560
ensure justice and fulfill
the promise of safety

09:41.560 --> 09:44.793
and security of our citizens
and the global community.

09:45.740 --> 09:48.840
Their lives were dedicated
not to conflict or death,

09:48.840 --> 09:51.053
but to compassion and to life.

09:52.160 --> 09:55.030
They have uprooted their
families, moved their families

09:55.030 --> 09:56.310
and loved ones.

09:56.310 --> 09:58.830
Sometimes in the middle
of the school year,

09:58.830 --> 10:02.060
always tearing children or
tearing children and spouses away

10:02.060 --> 10:07.060
from friends, schools, jobs,
families, and opportunities.

10:08.270 --> 10:11.260
They have served in combat,
operational deployments

10:11.260 --> 10:15.090
and hardship tours while missing births,

10:15.090 --> 10:20.090
birthdays, ball games,
recitals, anniversaries,

10:20.200 --> 10:23.890
holidays, graduations,
and other important events

10:24.940 --> 10:27.540
that they would never be
able to make up or recover.

10:28.400 --> 10:30.370
They have those conversations the night

10:30.370 --> 10:34.223
before their deployment
addressing the unmentionable,

10:35.370 --> 10:39.123
what if scenarios that few
other professions know.

10:40.570 --> 10:43.270
The luckiest among them have seen

10:43.270 --> 10:46.520
this experiences strengthen their families

10:46.520 --> 10:48.320
and relationships.

10:48.320 --> 10:53.090
The less fortunate have seen
the same experiences destroy,

10:53.090 --> 10:54.733
otherwise healthy families.

10:56.270 --> 10:58.830
They have served with the
finest citizens our nation

10:58.830 --> 11:00.500
has produced.

11:00.500 --> 11:02.310
That service has been in some

11:02.310 --> 11:04.970
of the harshest environmental
conditions on earth

11:05.940 --> 11:09.670
from the Arctic cold to burning deserts,

11:09.670 --> 11:13.000
steaming jungles to barren mountains,

11:13.000 --> 11:18.000
separated from family, exposed
to danger and loneliness.

11:18.090 --> 11:21.500
In this crucible, they have
made friendships and transcend

11:21.500 --> 11:25.040
those known by our civilian counterparts

11:25.040 --> 11:27.963
who have not shared this same hardships.

11:29.620 --> 11:32.830
When these veterans ate
their breakfast at home,

11:32.830 --> 11:37.720
in the field or on a deployment
and read the morning paper,

11:37.720 --> 11:40.790
or watch the morning news
and learned of the crisis

11:42.080 --> 11:44.083
that has beset our nation or world,

11:45.080 --> 11:47.220
they did not ring their hands.

11:47.220 --> 11:49.350
They rolled up their sleeves.

11:49.350 --> 11:50.423
They said, send me.

11:51.630 --> 11:53.963
When our nation's leadership dialed 911,

11:55.090 --> 11:57.440
the phone rang in their bedrooms.

11:57.440 --> 11:59.190
Usually in the middle of the night,

12:00.490 --> 12:04.610
this is the call they answered
without hesitation, time

12:04.610 --> 12:05.823
and time again,

12:06.960 --> 12:09.100
They have fought our nation's wars,

12:09.100 --> 12:11.380
brought comfort to our fellow citizens

12:11.380 --> 12:14.660
when natural disasters have
devastated their homes,

12:14.660 --> 12:18.180
rebuilt broken countries and
extended the hand of friendship

12:18.180 --> 12:21.763
across the globe representing
the best this nation can be.

12:23.040 --> 12:28.040
And currently the department
of Defense is being turned to,

12:28.890 --> 12:32.960
to go ahead and distribute
the COVID 19 pandemic vaccine

12:32.960 --> 12:34.410
in the next couple of months.

12:35.640 --> 12:38.870
We have all been touched by
the ultimate sacrifice soldiers

12:38.870 --> 12:41.810
have made in service to their country

12:41.810 --> 12:45.460
and the suffering it has
brought to mothers, fathers,

12:45.460 --> 12:49.453
sisters, brothers, spouses, and friends.

12:50.880 --> 12:52.680
These family members are everything,

12:53.570 --> 12:56.083
not just the public
confidence and bravado,

12:57.150 --> 12:58.793
but the anxiety of deployment.

12:59.830 --> 13:04.830
The doubt about careers
and the daily frustrations

13:04.830 --> 13:08.910
yet they still supported their
loved one through all of it,

13:08.910 --> 13:12.480
supporting their desires and
wellbeing through their parent

13:12.480 --> 13:15.020
in uniform and the nation's needs

13:16.340 --> 13:19.863
To them we say thank you for
a debt we can never repay.

13:21.350 --> 13:23.910
We remember the families of the missing

13:23.910 --> 13:27.090
and the Gold Star families
who lost soldiers to illness,

13:27.090 --> 13:29.360
injury and combat.

13:29.360 --> 13:31.810
Who stood strong through uncertainty

13:31.810 --> 13:35.420
and whose resilience,
dedication, and commitment

13:35.420 --> 13:37.750
to their soldiers continue to shine

13:37.750 --> 13:41.313
as beacons through the darkest
hours for the rest of us.

13:43.040 --> 13:46.450
Today I asked you to remember
and honor the missing as well.

13:46.450 --> 13:49.100
Our nation is committed
to the warrior ethos.

13:49.100 --> 13:52.600
I will never leave a fallen comrade behind

13:52.600 --> 13:54.040
and continues its efforts

13:54.040 --> 13:57.940
to locate, identify and
repatriate those men and women

13:57.940 --> 13:59.290
who have not returned home.

14:03.040 --> 14:05.730
The support our country
pays to its veterans

14:05.730 --> 14:09.340
is the ultimate tribute
to our fallen comrades.

14:09.340 --> 14:12.150
Our service members are
humbled and grateful

14:12.150 --> 14:14.810
for this support and accept it behalf

14:14.810 --> 14:18.310
of our country's Vietnam
Veterans who do not experience

14:18.310 --> 14:21.520
the same, but who have
been at the forefront

14:21.520 --> 14:25.570
of welcoming us home and
mobilizing the country

14:25.570 --> 14:28.283
to never repeat the emissions of the past.

14:29.500 --> 14:32.050
May their example of self-service

14:32.050 --> 14:35.213
and sacrifice continue to inspire us all.

14:36.700 --> 14:39.030
For nearly 20 years, our service members

14:39.030 --> 14:41.830
have been at war though
we have been resilient

14:41.830 --> 14:43.660
in meeting the challenges of war,

14:43.660 --> 14:46.393
we must prepare for the
challenges of the next decade.

14:48.130 --> 14:51.430
I ask you to remember those
who stand shoulder to shoulder

14:51.430 --> 14:54.800
against terror and oppression
to carry freedom's torch

14:54.800 --> 14:56.490
in foreign lands.

14:56.490 --> 15:00.600
Remember the soldiers,
sailors, airmen, Marines men,

15:00.600 --> 15:03.810
welcome them home with open arms, comfort,

15:03.810 --> 15:06.940
their hidden wounds, personal traumas,

15:06.940 --> 15:08.513
and support their families.

15:09.400 --> 15:13.373
Never forget the missing and
be thankful for their service.

15:15.830 --> 15:17.890
Let this Veterans Day be a beginning,

15:17.890 --> 15:21.420
a rebirth of our commitment
to live and to serve

15:21.420 --> 15:24.743
with passion, humility, and patriotism.

15:26.230 --> 15:28.830
Thank you each and every
one of our veterans,

15:28.830 --> 15:31.880
regardless of what uniform
you wear currently,

15:31.880 --> 15:35.610
and regardless of what
title or rank you hold.

15:35.610 --> 15:39.060
We appreciate you all
and honor your sacrifice

15:39.060 --> 15:41.950
to our mission, to keep the United States

15:42.856 --> 15:45.623
and our allies safe,
both at home and abroad.

15:46.800 --> 15:49.050
Happy Veterans Day to all of you.

15:49.050 --> 15:53.130
Always ready, seven
strong, first and support,

15:53.130 --> 15:54.267
strong Europe.

15:56.167 --> 15:58.167
(claps)

15:59.893 --> 16:00.850
- [Narrator] Douglas Levien accompanied

16:00.850 --> 16:03.010
by Command Sir Major Howard will now lay

16:03.010 --> 16:05.950
a wreath at the 21st Theater
Sustainment Command Memorial.

16:05.950 --> 16:07.750
Please remain seated at this time.

16:24.776 --> 16:27.199
Ladies and gentlemen, please
stand as Colonel Levien

16:27.199 --> 16:32.199
and Command Sir Major Howard (mumbles)

17:36.400 --> 17:38.330
Ladies and gentlemen,
please remain standing

17:38.330 --> 17:40.880
for the playing of the
21st TSC March honor

17:40.880 --> 17:43.720
to all of our us military
veterans by playing

17:43.720 --> 17:46.290
each US military service song beginning

17:46.290 --> 17:49.640
with the United States Coast
Guard, United States Air Force,

17:49.640 --> 17:51.340
United States Navy followed

17:51.340 --> 17:53.120
by the United States Marine Corps

17:53.120 --> 17:55.920
and the United States Army
Song and remain standing

17:55.920 --> 17:57.920
for the departure of the official party.

18:01.752 --> 18:04.169
(soft music)

22:55.520 --> 22:57.090
Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf

22:57.090 --> 22:58.700
of Major General Chris Mohan

22:58.700 --> 23:00.500
and Command Sir Major Sean Howard.

23:00.500 --> 23:02.820
Thank you for attending today's ceremony.

23:02.820 --> 23:03.833
First in support.