Quotes

Reagan on Heroism, America, and Democracy

“On Veterans Day, we take respite from the ordinary business of daily life to pay honor to those who have served in the Armed Forces throughout our nation's history. It is right that we should meditate upon the principles for which so many Americans have fought -- peace, freedom, the sacred and inviolable dignity of all men -- principles that still give hope to the Nation.”

November 10, 1986

“On Veterans Day, we take respite from the ordinary business of daily life to pay honor to those who have served in the Armed Forces throughout our nation's history. It is right that we should meditate upon the principles for which so many Americans have fought -- peace, freedom, the sacred and inviolable dignity of all men -- principles that still give hope to the Nation. But let us above all consider the veterans themselves, the millions of men and women who have given of themselves, even of their lives. Our veterans have come from the grassy plains of Iowa and the streets of Brooklyn. They have spoken with the twang of New England and the drawl of the South, and, often, with the accents of the foreign lands of their birth. And from the time of the Revolution, when black soldiers fought for the American cause, they have represented our country's diverse ethnic heritage. And they have prevailed, prevailed so that today the United States of America is the greatest Nation on Earth.”

— Statement on Veterans Day