You served us selflessly, and we thank you.

Every year on November 11, our nation honors you for your service.  Veterans Day pays tribute and offers gratitude to you for serving in the military, whether in wartime or peace.  Through this day, our country acknowledges our appreciation for your contributions to our national security.  You were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice and a holiday or a simple “thank you” does not suffice to express our gratitude.  There are more than 25 million of you in our country – you are our neighbors, our family members, our customers and suppliers.

With no offense intended to Sweetest Day, the importance of a holiday is not marked by how many greeting cards are available, but rather its effect on our lives.

You affected our lives in immeasurable ways.

Many of you have recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan.  You deserve more than our respect and gratitude.  You deserve to return from wartime to opportunities that allow you to put your work ethic and knowledge to productive use.  You deserve to have our nation collectively salute your sacrifices by ensuring you have work when you return, and the training and support to become entrepreneurial if you choose.

Some of you returned longer ago, and continued fighting for opportunities to open.  I have the privilege of serving with some of you as advocates for other veteran business owners that expect our elected and appointed leaders to honor their commitments.  Keith, Rodney, Ed, Guido, Greg, Tim… you are an inspiration with your tenacity and passion.

JetCo is a veteran owned and operated company.  We actively seek out other veteran owned businesses to work for and with.  We do this because it makes good business sense and because of a mandate from our founder and owner, who served in Operation Desert Storm.  We are a small business.  While we cannot hire every returning hero or help every veteran owned firm win a government contract, we will spread the word and help where we can.

JetCo’s founder happens to be my husband as well, so we have a hero living in our home.  His veteran status doesn’t exempt him from garbage duty or occasional friendly mockery.  But his personal experiences give us great appreciation for those currently serving, and empathy for their families who apprehensively wait for their return home.  Like most veterans that I’ve met, Jon doesn’t expect special treatment.  And he’d rather help or thank another veteran than have someone thank him.   In our home, Veterans Day has special meaning because of his sacrifices.  He has earned our gratitude.

To Jon and to all of those who sacrificed for our freedom and safety…

You served us selflessly, and we thank you.