Transcript for Veterans Day 2026

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.

Well, we're coming up on Veterans Day 2026. You know, some of my earliest memories are parades down Main Street, High Street, and South Street in Farmington, seeing my father in his bright navy uniform with multi-colored stripes, all of which signified that he had fought in and survived the largest naval battle of World War II, in a faraway place called Leyte Gulf in the Pacific. Two of my uncles also served in the Pacific in World War II. My brother served several tours of duty in Vietnam.

That proud military history at the heart of my family is also shared by many other families across the state of Maine. Maine can proudly say that we are home to one of the highest number of veterans per capita of any state in the country. From the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, to World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan-Maine people have always defended our nation and its ideals, and our state has always shouldered its responsibility to serve.

Through the Maine Bureau of Veterans' Services, we have reestablished the Aides-de-Camp Veterans Advisory Program. We have provided free dental care for veterans in need. We've created the Governor's Challenge to coordinate behavioral health services and prevent suicides by veterans. We've expanded our Homeless Veteran Coordination team. And last month, at an event in Brunswick, the Bureau of Veterans' Services helped an Army veteran named Anthony look for a new place to live. The Bureau found him a place, and he told a local news outlet, "I just thank God for them."

Well, we've connected hundreds of servicemembers like Anthony and other veterans and their families with all kinds of resources and benefits, and we've connected thousands of veterans to jobs through our annual Hire-A-Vet Campaign. This November 12th, there is a Hire-A-Vet job and resource fair at the Norway Armory at 23 Elm Street from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Open to anyone looking for a job, actually, and veterans, servicemembers, and military families can also connect with organizations which offer resources and support to them.

This Veterans Day, we remember those who risked their lives, the many who gave their all, those who left the safety of their homes so that we might be safe in our homes. Those who fought and celebrated victories in these streets so that we might travel these same roads with freedom. Those who fought for a democracy in which the people have the final say, when every vote and every ballot box counts.

A democracy whose light shines upon us every day. We honor every person who has worn the uniform in defense of our state and nation, including those who are deployed today. And we thank them all from the bottom of our hearts.

This is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening. Please have a day full of gratitude and honor this Veterans Day 2026.