Happy Veterans Day

Hi, this is Charles Hoskinson broadcasting live from warm, sunny Colorado. Today is November 11th, 2024, and it's a very special day for all those in America who have served in uniform. I wanted to make a video to congratulate and thank all current and retired veterans of the United States. As many people are aware, Veterans Day originated at the close of World War I as Armistice Day, celebrating the 11th month and the 11th hour of the end of World War I. Later, after World War II, it was changed from Armistice Day to Veterans Day, and it has been observed on the 11th ever since.

Gerald Ford pushed it back to the 11th, I believe, in 1978, but actually, that would have been Carter, so it happened a little earlier. Veterans Day has become a holiday that celebrates the many people in the United States who have fond memories of their time in uniform, the friends they made along the way, the challenges they had to overcome, and the losses they endured that ultimately shaped them into who they are today. It's also a day for all of us who didn’t serve in uniform to take a moment to thank those who did. I wanted to say thank you for your service and express our gratitude as a society. Gratitude goes beyond just words; it includes actions.

I encourage everyone who wants to truly appreciate what veterans have done and the sacrifices they have made to understand that there are still many challenges ahead for the integration of veterans from the prior wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The military operations of the last 20 years have taken a tremendous mental and physical toll on countless millions of people involved, both directly and indirectly in GWAT, and many are still suffering from physical and mental ailments. They require compassion, care, and help. On Veterans Day, take a moment to find a few organizations that help and care for veterans and consider making a donation. If you have personal time, perhaps volunteer to assist veterans who aren’t doing so well.

This could involve helping them get a job, supporting their mental health, or simply being a friend in a city they may not be familiar with. I highly encourage you to take a few moments to consider these things and recognize that these are some of the bravest people you’ll ever meet. I spend a lot of time with veterans, from those in the Special Operations community to others who served in different roles, and they’ve become treasured friends and great inspirations to me. I’ve come to know them as both professionals and as people, which has been one of the privileges of my lifetime. To employers, I highly recommend hiring veterans.

Some of the best people in my organization happen to be veterans. They are among the most reliable, trustworthy, and hardest-working individuals. It's important to remember that there can be job discrimination or undervaluing of the experience that veterans have, especially on the enlisted side. Their job skills enable them to perform well under great stress and pressure, which is exactly what you look for in leadership positions. Many veterans have led dozens, if not hundreds, or even thousands of people in some of the most stressful and difficult situations, even if their resumes don’t explicitly state that.

So, happy Veterans Day to all those in uniform and out of uniform. Thank you for your service. I wish I could buy you all a beer, but I hope this video suffices. For those who want to do something, please take the time to invest some resources in helping out. They sacrifice quite a bit for us, so I believe we can do the same for them.

Thank you all, and God bless.