11/11/2023
We recently received the following message from a supporter in France:
“Dans mon jardin des hommes de la 35e d'infanterie Santa Fe ont dormi ont déjeuné et peut être tombé au combat dans la forêt, mon père m'a appris j'ai appris à mes enfants, ici des enfant de 10ans savent l'histoire de la 35 division d'infanterie Santa Fe nous n'oublierons (numquam obliviscar).”
Translated:
“In my garden, men of the 35th Santa Fe Infantry slept, ate lunch and may have fallen in combat in the forest. My father taught me, I taught my children. Here, 10-year-old children know the story of the 35th Santa Fe Infantry Division. We will not forget. Numquam obliviscar (I shall never forget).
We, as a nation, ask a lot of our Soldiers and know that they make many sacrifices in order to serve. Every day Soldiers of our military are out there putting in long hours, juggling family commitments, deploying around the globe, and - in the National Guard and Reserves - balancing civilian employment responsibilities on top of it all. Probably every Soldier in every formation has asked themselves at least once if it is worth it.
On the occasion of Veteran’s Day, I felt that it was important to share this message to our 35th Infantry Division community to remind you that what you do matters, the sacrifices that you make matter, and they will continue to matter for generations to come. I also wanted to take the opportunity to ask two things of you:
First, remember this Veterans Day to take pride in what you (or the Soldier(s) in your life) do. As an Army professional, you follow in the footsteps of a long lineage of heroic men and women who have fought time and again on the side of good, and have prevailed. Feel grateful that you live in a time and place where people recognize the value of what you do and support you. When someone says, “Thank you for your service,” smile and say “thank you for your support.”
And second, I ask that you consider if the young people in your life know the story of the 35th Infantry Division like those children in France do. Today’s military community is small and getting smaller. Does our next generation truly understand why we have this observance and what it means? Veterans Day is a good time to share your story and the story of our division and our Army with your family and your community. It is up to us to ensure these stories are not lost and the price of freedom is never forgotten.
Lest we forget,
Happy Veterans Day.
Santa Fe!
