From all of us at the Association of the United States Navy, we wish you and yours a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.
It’s a holiday born from the sea, as around a hundred pilgrims boarded the Mayflower in 1620 and headed for the New World to begin a new life. When they arrived, they found hardship, but also many blessings and a friendship with the local Native Americans, leading to a feast that would establish one of the grandest American traditions that continues today.
“Over three centuries ago, our forefathers in Virginia and in Massachusetts, far from home in a lonely wilderness, set aside a time of thanksgiving,” President John F. Kennedy said in 1963. “On the appointed day, they gave reverent thanks for their safety, for the health of their children, for the fertility of their fields, for the love which bound them together, and for the faith which united them with their God.”
So as we gather together to reflect on our lives and our country, let us be thankful for all those who came before, laying the roots for the founding of our nation.
But let us also be thankful for all who continue to serve today. Many Sailors and Coast Guardsmen are far from their loved ones right now, keeping watch so that we might enjoy our holiday in peace.
To them, to the Veterans who are enjoying their much needed rest, and to those who have passed on, we at AUSN say: we are eternally grateful.
