Veterans Day Salute

On Veterans Day of 1961, President John F. Kennedy stood before the country to honor veterans and commemorate a historic day of peace.

“In an age that threatens the survival of freedom, we join together to honor those who made our freedom possible,” he said. “We celebrate this Veterans Day for a very few minutes, a few seconds of silence and then this country’s life goes on.”

Today, we celebrate more than 43 million men and women who have fought valiantly throughout history to preserve our heritage of freedom and democracy. Some of them are resting peacefully at home and abroad, yet many walk beside us as neighbors, colleagues and friends. These heroes include you—our TRICARE-eligible veterans—and your families. You have made sacrifices for our country and defended our liberty, and we are forever grateful for your service.