A Holiday Message from Commander Fry
December 22, 2011
To our men and women serving in the Armed Forces, it is because of your honor
and commitment that we are able to enjoy our freedoms here at home. Even as the
war in Iraq comes to a close, thousands of you still serve overseas, fighting to
protect our freedoms for, as we know all too well, war does not take a holiday.
Your loved ones, too, are enduring the heartache of separation. So to you, our
brave heroes serving in harm’s way and your families, I offer my sincere thanks
and deepest appreciation this holiday season.
As members of AMVETS, we will remind those around us of the emotional
importance of this time of year to the troops who are so very far from home.
After all, they are honoring our nation with their service, while fighting to
keep our country free. If it weren’t for their sacrifices, America would not be
the place that it is today. And at the heart of it all, what they are fighting
for speaks to the very essence of the meaning of the holidays we celebrate, and
to our core principles as Americans.
While we are keeping them in our thoughts and prayers, let us not forget the
troops who never make newspaper headlines. From the Korean Peninsula to North
Africa, and the Balkans to the Middle East, the United States military is
deployed in more than 150 countries around the world. Some are even sailing the
seas, protecting our shores from afar. Their mission should never be taken for
granted or forgotten.
The debt of gratitude we owe this 1 percent of Americans who have volunteered
to bear the burden of the cost of our freedom can never be adequately repaid.
The least we can do is to give them more than a passing thought. As we enjoy our
holiday revelry, keep in mind that someone in uniform is making your joy
possible. The AMVETS Family understands the sacrifices of which I speak, and the
importance of remembering those actively serving and those who made the ultimate
sacrifice. We will never forget.
As you continue to make preparations to celebrate this holiday season, let us
all consider in sobriety that freedom is truly not free. You as AMVETS know all
too well what this means.
In that spirit, on behalf of AMVETS, I wish you all a Merry Christmas, or
happy holiday in the tradition of your faith. May the New Year bring you peace,
tranquility and prosperity.
May God Bless America.
Gary L. Fry
AMVETS National Commander
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