They do not serve for glory, or power, or wealth. Some were called by draft, others by choice—but all answered when their nation needed them. Each made a decision, whether voluntary or compelled, to set aside comfort and safety for something greater: the defense of this nation and its ideals. That act, in any form, carries extraordinary moral weight. It is a promise made in youth and kept in hardship—freely given by some, dutifully by others—and too often, poorly repaid.

Every veteran, from the newest recruit to the oldest among us, begins their service with a simple but profound act—an oath. They swear not to a president, not to a political party, but to the Constitution of the United States. They pledge to “support and defend” that document against all enemies, foreign and domestic. The

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