VIDEO: Sen. Sullivan Recognizes Service & Sacrifice of America’s Veterans

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, released the following video message in recognition of Veterans Day.

Below is a full transcript of Sen. Sullivan's Veterans Day message.

Greetings, Alaska, from Washington, D.C. on this Veterans Day. Thank you to all Alaskans for supporting our veterans and our military so much.

This is a very important, meaningful day for our whole country, but especially for our state. Patriotism and military service are a huge legacy and heritage of our great state. It literally runs in our DNA. We have more veterans per capita than any state in the country. And, with our big Active Duty and Reserve and Guard forces and their families in Alaska, it is a giant component of who we are.

Today, I want to begin by thanking all the veterans, all who have served our country-of course, our people who are still on Active Duty and Reserve duty, and their families. The families sacrifice so much and don't always get the attention that they deserve.

So, to our veterans, our military, and our families: Thank you, thank you, thank you. I hope you have a very meaningful Veterans Day today.

Last year, I retired out of the Marine Corps after 30 years on Active Duty and in the Reserves. I'm wearing my Marine Corps tie here. We are in the shadow of one of the great memorials for our military in Washington, DC, which, of course, is the Marine Corps Memorial, depicting the flag raising at Iwo Jima.

Yesterday, November 10^th, was the 250^th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. For all the Marines back home in Alaska, Semper Fi. Oorah! Happy 250^th birthday. We are proud of the Marines. We view it as the finest fighting force in the world. We're also a little bit proud of the fact that the Marine Corps was actually founded in a bar: Tun Tavern in Philadelphia. I'm digressing, but that is an element of the legacy of the Marine Corps.

But back to our veterans, all veterans. Again, I want to thank you for your legacy, not just in Alaska, but for our nation. Think about this fact: Our military is probably one of the most powerful forces in the world for liberating men and women and children from tyranny and oppression-probably more than any other force. If you think about the Civil War and World War I and World War II, and the Korean War, and yes, our efforts in Vietnam and Iraq, and Afghanistan, which were all noble.

Our military has probably liberated hundreds of millions of people, not just keeping Americans safe, but around the world. No other country can say that, certainly not the dictators like China and the Soviet Union and Russia and Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. But we can. We're an exceptional nation because of our military and our veterans.

So, to all of you, on this important day, one of the most important days of the year, I hope you have a meaningful Veterans Day with you and your families.

To our veterans, know that I serve on the Armed Services Committee and I serve on the Veterans Affairs Committee. If our veterans have any issues at all working with the VA-not getting the benefits that you have earned as an American veteran-call my office, reach out to my team and me. This is one of the most important things we do-fight for our veterans and our military. Please reach out to us.

Enjoy this very important day.

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