This year, as we honor Veterans Day on November 11, 2023, we recognize the American patriots who have served in the military, and thank them for their service to our country. Reading and sharing inspirational Veterans Day quotes from important figures throughout history is one way to commemorate the day. Whether you have family members, friends, or neighbors who served or are serving in the U.S. military, take the time to express your gratitude for the sacrifices they've made for our freedom. These patriotic quotes can help show the veterans in your life that you are thinking of them and are forever appreciative of what they have given.
There are a number of holidays throughout the year that honor our country and its servicemen and women, but it's important to have an understanding of how each is different. While Memorial Day remembers American soldiers who died while serving, Veterans Day honors soldiers who made it home safely, but still made great sacrifices on the battlefield. Whether you have a veteran in your life or are looking for meaningful ways to observe the holiday this year, the best Veterans Day quotes prompt reflection as well as show your gratitude.
You can also choose to shop veteran-owned businesses or donate to charities that uplift veterans. Paying tribute on social media is one thing, but you can back up these powerful words with powerful actions, too — even if it's as simple as picking up the phone and calling your veteran loved one.
Abraham Lincoln
“Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor, also, to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field and serves, as he best can, the same cause.”
Joseph Campbell
“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”
Barack Obama
“In the face of impossible odds, people who love this country, can change it.”
Dan Lipinski
“On this Veterans Day, let us remember the service of our veterans, and let us renew our national promise to fulfill our sacred obligations to our veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much so that we can live free.”
Sidney Sheldon
“My heroes are those who risk their lives every day to protect our world and make it a better place — police, firefighters, and members of our armed forces.”
Jeff Miller
“The willingness of America’s veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude.”
Claudia Pemberton
“America without her soldiers would be like God without his angels.”
Elmer Davis
“This will remain the Land of the Free only so long as it is the Home of the Brave.”
Richard Watson Gilder
“Better than honor and glory, and history’s iron pen, was the thought of duty done and the love of his fellow-men.”
Maya Angelou
“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!”
John Fitzgerald Kennedy
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
Charles B. Rangel
“Honoring the sacrifices many have made for our country in the name of freedom and democracy is the very foundation of Veterans Day.”
Winston Churchill
“Never was so much owed by so many to so few.”
Michel de Montaigne
“Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul.”
Billy Graham
“Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.”
Ronald Reagan
“Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world, but the Marines don’t have that problem.”
Mark Twain
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear — not absence of fear.”
Steve Buyer
“The young patriots now returning from war in Iraq and Afghanistan and other deployments worldwide are joining the ranks of veterans to whom America owes an immense debt of Gratitude.”
Douglas MacArthur
“The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
Alexander Hamilton
“There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise about itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.”
Arthur Ashe
“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.”
Marcus Tullius Cicero
“Live as brave men; and if fortune is adverse, front its blows with brave hearts.”
Judd Gregg
“The veterans of our military services have put their lives on the line to protect the freedoms that we enjoy. They have dedicated their lives to their country and deserve to be recognized for their commitment.”
Sebastian Junger
“The only thing that makes battle psychologically tolerable is the brotherhood among soldiers. You need each other to get by.”
Randy Neugebauer
“While only one day of the year is dedicated solely to honoring our veterans, Americans must never forget the sacrifices that many of our fellow countrymen have made to defend our country and protect our freedoms.”
John Keegan
“Soldiers, when committed to a task, can’t compromise. It’s unrelenting devotion to the standards of duty and courage, absolute loyalty to others, not letting the task go until it’s been done.”
Doc Hastings
“We owe our World War II veterans — and all our veterans — a debt we can never fully repay.”
Alfred M. Gray
“I go where the sound of thunder is.”
H.L. Mencken
“In war the heroes always outnumber the soldiers ten to one.”
Nick Lampson
“But this Veterans Day, I believe we should do more than sing the praises of the bravery and patriotism that our veterans have embodied in the past. We should take this opportunity to re-evaluate how we are treating our veterans in the present.”
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