Support our military

Walking the sands of Utah and Omaha Beaches during my recent visit to France was a humbling experience. Standing where young Americans once charged into gunfire to liberate a continent, I felt the weight of their sacrifice in a way no book or documentary can fully convey. At the American Cemetery in Colleville‑sur‑Mer, row after row of white crosses and Stars of David testify to the price paid for freedom—paid by volunteers who believed liberty was worth their lives.

That experience makes our current reality all the more troubling. When government shutdowns halt pay for the men and women who serve today, it sends a message that contradicts the very values those soldiers died defending. Our military is an all‑volunteer force. They step forward not for wealth or comfort, but out of duty—to protect, to defend, and to uphold the ideals that define us. Using their livelihoods as leverage in political standoffs is not only shortsighted; it is a betrayal of the commitment we ask of them.

A nation that honors its heroes at Normandy should honor its service members at home. We owe them stability, respect, and the assurance that their sacrifices—past and present—are not bargaining chips. The crosses and Stars of David overlooking the cliffs of Normandy remind us that freedom is never free. Those who stand ready to defend it deserve nothing less than our unwavering support.