Anniversary of veterans day in america. Originally known as Armistice Day and renamed in 1954, this is a day when we recognize the service of all u. S. Military veterans. We are delighted to mark this important day with a special event designed to salute americas veterans. Im especially pleased that our guest this evening include a fellow north carolinian who is the nations secretary of veteran affairs. The honorable robert wilke. The society of the cincinnati was our countrys first veterans group. So its particularly fitting that the secretary will be providing remarks. You will hear a little more about that in a moment. We are gathered here tonight to listen to a distinguished panel of noted historian who will be discussing the experience of American Veterans since the revolutionary generation more than 240 years ago. I also want to encourage you to return to Anderson House and visit us again and look at our very special Museum Exhibition americas first veterans. Its behind me and behind the fireplace so you may not go in there now. The exhibit opened last week, and it will go go until the spring of 2020. I am now asking mark williams, charnl of t chairman of the board of overseers of the society of the cincinnati to provide mark a very brief summary of who we are and what we do, and then to introduce our distinguished secretary. Mark . Thank you, pless. American reverlolution was the worlds single most important achievement furthering selfgovernance in the past 1,000 years. In may of 1783, towards the end of that war, the continental officers formed an organization with two primary purposes. First, they wished to perpetuate the remembrance of the American Revolution and the ideals for which they fought. Second, they wanted to perpetuate the mutual friendships which had been formed in the crucible of war. Of note our organizations Charter States that the spirit of friendship extends to providing care for ones fellow combatants and their families. The first such expression in our history. In considering a name for this organization, the officers were inspired by a famous roman leader, lucius quinton cincinnatius who twice voluntary gave up his near absolute dictatorial authority to return to being a mere ordinary farmer. Hence those revolutionary war officers those revolutionary wa officers deemed an appropriate name for their organization to be the society of the cincinnati. Note that the military ceding authority back to civilians may seem obvious today, but in 1783, it was nothing short of an extraordinary nothing like that had ever happened before. Even afterwards, there are numerous examples of the military remaining in control after successful revolutions. Consider napoleon, lenin, mao, castro and others. Membership in the society is limited to a few thousand men because eligibility requirements consist of being the eldest male descendent of a continental officer with only a Single Person being able to represent that officer. Ill come back to that. For the first 200 years of the societys existence, most of our focus was on the fraternal purpose. Frankly, thats because there was not much need to focus on the Mission Purpose as our nations founding was more roundly celebrated throughout america than today. For example, schoolchildren routinely memorized the declaration of independence and the constitution. They learned of the sacrifice made by ordinary folks to secure independence, to establish our republic, to create our National Identity and to commit the new nation to ideals of liberty, equality, natural rights, civil rights and responsible citizenship. Unfortunately, a couple generations ooh this start of education started to become tarnished. Leaders recognized theyd have to start focusing more on the remembrance of that vast event as our forbearers called it and its associated ideals. Furthermore, they recognized that their limited resources of only 3500 domestic members would not be enough to accomplish their enormous yet vitally important goals. As a result, the society created the American Revolution institute of the society of the cincinnati. Here eligibility is open to all who share our patriotic passion. As magnificent as the revolutionary war achievements were, like in any human endeavor, the results of the war and the civilian government that followed were not perfect. Notably, it failed to resolve slavery, womans suffrage and particularly poignant for tonights discussion, it did not address veterans rights. But lest we fall into the trap of presentism, the intellectual fallacy of judging the past by current standards, we must recognize that the revolution created an evolutionary process. Thats the beauty of our herita heritage. While it did take us a couple of generations to grant revolutionary war veterans a pension, the important fact is that we did so, and we were the first nation in the world to do so. As pless indicated if you havent had an opportunity to visit our museum, i strongly encourage you to do so. Tonight, im delighted to introduce the secretary of veteran affairs. Secretary wilkies background and list of accomplishments could take most of the evening but please allow me to share a few. Perhaps first and foremost the son of an army officer and grew up at ft. Bragg. Hes an attorney and currently a colonel in the air force reserve. He has more than 20 years of federal service at the national and international level, including being an assistant secretary of defense for donald rums feld and later for robert gates, as well as the senior director at the National Security counsel under condoleezza rice. Prior to that, extensive experience serving multiple congressman. And out of the fact this is this isnt a onebadge army here. Outside the federal sector, hes been Vice President of Strategic Programs for a multibilliondollar Public Company focusing on largescale engineering and program management. Academically, secretary wilkie holds degrees from wake forest, loyola out of new orleans, a master of law from georgetown, a masters in strategic studies from the army war college. In addition, hes graduated from several military colleges. He has published articles in multiple military journals and has been awarded the highest noncivilian award of the defense department, the Defense Distinguished Public Service medal. Please allow me to introduce you all to the honorable robert leon wilkie. And if i may take a line from casablanca, im glad hes on our side now. Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. Do you mind . Not at all. The pin reads, the American Revolution institute. Thank you, sir. Thank you all very much. This is a wonderful ending to for us at Veterans Affairs, this day of days when we celebrate the 41 million americans who have put on the uniform since the first shots were fired in Lexington Greene in april of 1775. It is important for me also to echo what was just said because it is an honor for me to be here amongst the keepers of the american flame. Those who fight against presentism. Who understand that people like the indispensable man over my shoulder are men embedded in their times and struggled as all humans do with how to make the best of what has been given to them. It was Winston Churchill who said after a rather mixed academic career that i let the smart children know latin for a treat but i hit them hard when they dont know their history. And this place drips with history. This society was founded in newberg, new york, where one of the seminal events in the history of the United States army, indeed, the history of armies in the west, was born when certain officers, including one scoundrel named gates, and i wont talk about him very much, were threatening to overthrow the order that that gentleman established. In the midst of chaos stepped george washington. He walked into the barn, and he started to speak, but he couldnt. So he pulled out a piece of paper and tried to read it, but he couldnt do that. And he reached for spectacles. And he said, forgive me, gentlemen, because i have grown almost blind, and my hair has grown white in the service of my country. The tears began to flow like rivers that night. And a few days, a few weeks later, he was in the tavern in new york saying goodbye to the tillmans, horns, Lighthorse Harry lee, henry knox, the founder of this soirkts or the first president of this society, and others who had borne the cause of American Freedom on their shoulders. And it is those ancestors that we honor most tonight. The process of turning the ideas of the American Revolution and the declaration of independence into Something Real required the most necessary ingredient in any fight. Soldiers. And in those years, this fledgling nation got an early glimpse of the importance of the men and women who stand up to be counted. In january of 1776, tom payne, who helped inspire the reading of the declaration of independence across the Continental Army by publishing, of course, common sense, things as you know were not going very well that winter. British troops had pushed washington out of new york, new jersey and into pennsylvania. That prompted payne who was retreating with the Continental Army, with what was left of washingtons dissolving army, to write the First American crisis essay that december. You know the first line. These are the times that try mens souls. But what followed was a lesser known appeal to the spirit of americas warriors. The summer soldier, the sunshine patrio patriot. But he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of men, women, tyranny. Tyranny like hell is not easily conquered, yet we have this consolation with us that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. A few days later, you know washington crossed the delaware and routed the mercenaries under johan rawl on that christmas day. A brilliant stroke that would infuse the american cause for years to come. America owes everything to those men and women who refuse to be known as the summer soldiers or the sunshine patriots. All through our history as we have spoken of national unity, the real obstacle to moving forward the boundaries of freedom and the only danger to america comes from within. That is not a new thought. Ronald reagan spoke of it often. In fact if you look at reagans thoughts on the American Revolution, they are infused with his observations of the relationship between two of the great masters of the revolution, mr. Adams and mr. Jefferson. Once independence was gained and a government was formed, partisanship ripped the bonds of friendship that these two men formed first in 1775. Thomas jefferson destroyed john adams in 1800. The night before jeffersons inauguration, adams slipped out of washington imbittered, sorrowful and broken hearted. But when both had retired, jefferson to monticello and adams to piecefield and quincy, they began through their letters to speak once again. As reagan reminded us in 1986, they wrote on every imaginable subject, gardening, horseback riding, jefferson even talked about sneezing as a cure for hiccups. But other subjects were there. The loss of loved ones. Abigail and charles adams. The mystery of grief and sorrow, the importance of religion in the Young Country and, of course, the last thoughts, the final hopes of two old men, two great patriarchs. It carries me back, jefferson said, to the times when beset with difficulties and dangers we were fellow laborers in the same cause. Struggling for what is most valuable to man, his right to selfgovernment. Laboring always at the same or with some wave ever ahead threatening to overwhelm us and, yet, passing harmless by. We rhodode through the storm wi heart in hand. That was their last gift to us. The lesson in brotherhood and tolerance for each other, insight that would make america strong and great as a nation. When both died on the same day within hours, july 4th, 1826, 50 years after the declaration was signed, america had what many considered to be a divine sign. I mentioned earlier 41 million americans have worn this nations uniform since the first volunteers took after the british on Lexington Green. Some of our greatest heroes are those who insisted on wearing the uniform even when being told they werent wanted or needed. One of them was a scratch farmer from eastern tennessee by way of North Carolina who would become the greatest hero of the First World War by capturing 132 german prisoners. With just a small group of men. He was one of Many Americans called upon to do extraordinary things. Another was a small, slight bespeckled farmer from jacksonville, missouri, who had never commanded anything except a plow. But he lied and cheated to get into the Field Artillery because he could not bear the thought of his friends and neighbors going to war without him being there to help them. He commanded a battery of the 29th Field Artillery called the dizzy ds. Dizzy ds were, as he once said, the hardest drinking grouch irishmen ever to stagger around the streets of kansas city. Here was a baptist leading people with names like maloney and driscoll and ofarrell. He wrote his future wife bess, i dont know whats going to happen when the first explosions hit and when the clouds of gas come. On a day, two horses were shot out from under him. One private looked at him trying to recover those bottle thick glasses and he said, harry truman dont scare worth a damn. There were some others who were there. The 369th infantry regiment from harlem, new york, known as the harlem hell fighters. When the United States army marched down fifth avenue on its way to europe, they were not allowed to enter the parade. When they reached europe, they were assigned to the french army because so Many American units would fight with them. In the two years that they were in western europe, the harlem hell fighters suffered more casualties, 1500, earned more decorations and spent more time on the western front than any unit in the American Army. And when they returned, the people of new york righted a wrong. They led the parade up fifth avenue when the American Army came home. Back to alvin york, that ordinary man called upon to do extraordinary things. York became a voice not only for veterans but for his nation. And as the guns of europe began to slowly approach the shores of the United States again, some questioned why america could once again be tangled up in the problems of europe. Didnt we just fight the war to end all wars . But york would echo Thomas Paynes remarks from the revolution and explain precisely why america had to fight. And he said liberty and freedom and democracy are so very precious that you dont fight to win them once and then stop. Liberty and freedom and democracy are prizes awarded only to those people who fight to win them and then keep fighting eternally to hold them. When im asked what animates our work at va, i say its the stories of these men and women who sacrificed everything for us. It wasnt always so. President lincoln set the tone for us during the civil war by challenging us to care for those who have borne the battle. Just a few blocks from here, president lincoln would get on a horse, unaccompanied and follow ambulances up to hospitals that were located just north of the white house. He would reach in to those ambulances and Start Talking to those soldiers. Asking them how they were, what was going on. What could he do for them . But veterans of world war i many years later did not experience what mr. Lincoln had hoped when he issued his proclamation in the second inaugural that we hope for peace, fondly do we pray for, but in order to ensure it, we not only have to honor the soldiers who bore the battle. We have to care for their families. Just a few short blocks from here in the early 1930s, veterans of world war i marched on this town. They were met with tanks. Franklin roosevelt was watching. He sent his wife into the mist to tell those troops that everything would be all right and that change was coming. And a young veteran who served with york on the western front told the Washington Post that the army sent tanks and Franklin Roosevelt sent eleanor. A few years later, after world war ii was over, that great veteran of the first war came to the white house, and he understood the mistakes that had been made in between the two great wars. And unlike the predecessors at the Veterans Administration, he called upon his favorite missourian, general omar bradley, to take control of va. And in two short years, omar bradley administered 7 1 2 million scholarships to college for americans veterans. He built 52 hospitals in two years. And he pledged that america would never turn its back in the 20th century on those who had borne the battle. Once again, we fell down. As was mentioned, im the son of a combat soldier. My father was grievously wounded in the invasion of cambodia. He was a big man for his day 62, 240. Today, that aint an lsu quarterback, but in those days, it was a big fella. He was so badly wounded that he spent a year at an Army Hospital in hawaii before he returned home to us, weighing half of what he did when he left. And only through the good graces of general Creighton Abrams was