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‘Milestones in US history due to veterans’
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Posted on Nov 11 2008
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial yesterday paid tribute to the U.S. military veterans, giving them credit for recent milestones in the history of the United States and the Northern Marianas.
Fitial said the election of the very first CNMI delegate to Washington, D.C. and the election of Barack Obama as America’s first African-American president would not have been possible without the sacrifices of the military veterans.
“When I think of these historic and peaceful federal elections, I cannot help thinking of our military veterans. There is a strong connection. The veterans of our armed forces have served as the guardians of our democratic way of life. They are the guardians of our constitutional government. They have been responsible for defending liberty when liberty was threatened by tyranny,” the governor told the crowd gathered at American Memorial Park.
Fitial also honored the estimated 1,400 local troops who have served or still serving in the military. He noted that the commonwealth has seen “too many casualties for such a small island community.”
While he expressed his sympathy for the families of the fallen soldiers, the governor said, “I do take pride in the patriotism and devotion of this small island community. We love our soldiers. The CNMI is among the most loyal and patriotic communities under the American flag.”
He continued, “This is a community that strongly supports its troops and that values the service of its military veterans. All U.S. military veterans have a home in the CNMI. They are all welcome.”
