Heroes.
Today is a day that will live in infamy, but it is also a day that we think about heroes.
Heroes are the ones who run toward danger, who face challenges head on, and who make sacrifices that no one else will. Heroes come in all types–whether it be someone who shields another human being from gunfire, or even someone who performs selfless acts in their everyday life or profession.
Today we pay tribute to those heroes who serve our country, especially those who paid the ultimate price on that infamous day 74 years ago at Pearl Harbor. And so there was no better place for me to be this morning than the World War II Memorial here at the waterfront in Hoboken.
Here, I had the pleasure of meeting a veteran who was also paying tribute. We talked for about 20 minutes, during which time I learned that served during the 1950’s, and he mentioned that he was “lucky” since there wasn’t much going on at that time.
But make no mistake–those who enlist in the military do so without any prior knowledge of what is going to happen. They have the courage and the willingness to put themselves out there, knowing they may be called upon at any time. And that is what makes all of them true heroes.