VETERANS DAY 2007
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Today we pause to remember those who were called upon to put their lives on the line for their country. We think of those who died in the service of the nation. Let us remember not only those who died, but those who lived; for while the giving of one's life is, as Abraham Lincoln said, "the last full measure of devotion," those who came home from the wars also deserve not merely the grateful thanks but also the salute of their fellow countrymen.

Many a veteran will tell you that, second only to the fear of death, the most difficult aspect of wartime service in the armed forces is the boredom. It is not merely a sort of state of suspended animation; it is the feeling of being in limbo far away from home, the dread of receiving bad news and being unable to do anything about it, the weight of loneliness in the midst of other lonely people. That is part of the alienation of war. And for Americans, used to the freedom of civilian life, military discipline, however it has changed over the years, is still a far more rigid structure than the give and take of peace at home. Yet the TWU veterans I have spoke with have come home and brought new vigor to their interrupted lives. They have not withdrawn; they have not constituted themselves a separate class. They have continued to give of themselves. Today on behalf of all of our members we salute them.

November is a particular month of remembrance, the time when we give thanks as a people when we commemorate the end of the First World War, when we go to the polls to exercise the rights in defense of which so many veterans have worn the uniform, carried the flag, and fought the good fight. But behind every veteran in the front lines there stood an anxious, gallant and sacrificing family at home. The veteran has never been a separate entity within the TWU, perhaps because so many of us are veterans. In paying tribute to our veterans, we are in fact paying tribute to the great heritage that we all share. I also want to personally say thank you to all of our TWU Locals that provide veteran’s services to the members and their families thought the year. As you travel and see one of our servicemen in uniform take a moment to say a word of encouragement; or just a thank you. I am sure it would mean a great deal to them.  

In solidarity,

James C. Little,
International President