To our veterans and families in Cape May County,
Veterans Day is both a somber and joyful celebration for all Americans. We honor the men and women who have given up their time, youth, strength, endurance, and have faced family separation to serve their country. We pay deep honor to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice to preserve freedom for our nation and the world.
Our sons and daughters continue to answer the call to support and defend our country. There is no mystery behind the endurance and success of our nation— it is the soldiers, sailors, marines, coast guardsmen and airmen who have served throughout the decades. In every generation, from the Revolutionary War to this very hour, brave Americans have stepped forward and served honorably in the Armed Forces of the United States. Every one of you deserves our highest admiration.
I am sincerely grateful to the Cape May County community for the support you provide to members of our service, not just one day a year, but all year long, and also to all the veterans who have served this great nation and are an irreplaceable part of our community.
Throughout our history, we have depended on our veterans to keep our country safe and free. Whether you wear the uniform today or wore it decades ago, you represent a fundamental truth. It’s not the weapons, technology, or equipment that make our military the greatest in the world. The true strength is the spirit and skill of our men and women who have worn the uniform of our nation. They made the necessary sacrifices through selfless service.
Nearly every week, new recruits arrive at the training center here, in Cape May, from all across the country ready to serve. At graduation, I tell each of them that regardless of where they came from, they are graduating as a completely changed person. They have been reborn a coast guardsman – and Cape May County is their new hometown.
Eighty percent of our workforce goes through initial training and wears their uniform in public for the first time here.
As we honor the women and men who chose to serve this Veterans Day, I take a great deal of pride in knowing that our Coast Guard veterans got their start right here, in Cape May. We are clearly proud of the service of the Coast Guard in the wars and conflicts of our nation. We also cherish the many peacetime activities and heroes who also have risked their lives so others may live.
We remember both our combat and peacetime veterans; those who have served to guarantee our freedoms and security, to protect and save lives and property, and to secure our marine resources and environment.
Veterans, you have done your duty – to your families, to your communities, to your fallen comrades, and to your country. You have honorably served your nation with great distinction, and we can never say thank you enough.
Sincerely,
Capt. Kathy Felger, commanding officer, Coast Guard Training Center Cape May
