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November 11, 2016
Greetings,
Since its founding, America has been a beacon of hope across the globe, demonstrating for all the blessings of liberty. On this Veterans Day, Heidi and I are proud to recognize the brave men and women who have raised their right hands and sworn to protect our American way of life. For their service and sacrifice, we owe our veterans a debt that we can never fully repay.
Home to 1.7 million veterans, the great State of Texas has a deep-seated appreciation for our brave service members. Today and every day, I encourage all Texans to reach out and say ‘thank you’ to the men and women who have served our country.
It is because of our veterans, like Distinguished Texan, Sergeant First Class Ed Snow of Mount Vernon highlighted below, that America remains a shining city on a hill, and we must always uphold our commitment to care for those who have selflessly carried the torch of freedom for all of us.
Keep Texas Strong,
Ted Cruz
Sen. Cruz Thanks Veterans for Their Service in New Video, Remarks
Today, Sen. Cruz released a new video in observance of Veterans Day, honoring those who have bravely served in our nation’s Armed Forces. Sen. Cruz also participated in the City of Houston’s 19th Annual “Houston Salutes American Heroes” Veterans Day Celebration, where he recognized the selfless sacrifices and unyielding courage of our veterans.
“On this Veterans Day, we stand together as a state and as a nation to recognize the sacrifice of the brave servicemen and women of our Armed Forces,” Sen. Cruz said in the video. “For your service, sacrifice, and unyielding courage - we say ‘thank you.’ Thank you for your selfless devotion to defending our freedom and defending our Constitution. It is because of you that our country remains a shining city on a hill, the last best hope of man on earth.”
Watch Sen. Cruz’s Veterans Day video in its entirety here.
Sen. Cruz and Sen. Birdwell Op-Ed in The Texas Tribune: 'Thank a Veteran This Weekend'
Sen. Cruz and Texas State Sen. Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury) today penned an op-ed for The Texas Tribune in observance of Veterans Day, honoring the heroism and selfless devotion of the men and women who have served our country.
“Audie Murphy’s name adorns the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in San Antonio today, but many Texans may not be familiar with his story,” Cruz and Birdwell wrote. “The son of sharecroppers from Hunt County, Murphy, like many soldiers of his day, lied about his age (he was only 17) so he could legally enlist in the Army during World War II. In three short years he would become the most decorated soldier of the war, rising from the rank of private to first lieutenant. He gained nationwide fame for an epic battle in eastern France in which he mounted a burning tank destroyer and single-handedly held off a German tank advance for nearly an hour before leading his unit in a counterattack that drove the Nazis back.
“Murphy’s heroism on behalf of his country made him a household name across America. But upon returning home from the war, Murphy insisted he wasn’t special, or any more deserving than his brothers-in-arms. “Bravery is just determination to do a job that you know has to be done,” he told the press. “I just fought to stay alive, like anyone else, I guess.”
“Murphy’s attitude was remarkable only in its consistency among the men and women who have sworn to protect our American way of life since the country’s founding…
“The least we can do is to ensure that our government does everything it can to provide the medical care and support services our veterans require after completing their service.
“This is why we have each supported efforts to reform the VA and hold VA officials accountable after recent episodes of gross mismanagement and misconduct resulted in the deaths of American veterans who were waiting for badly needed care. We have pushed to expand access to the Veterans Choice Program with The Care Veterans Deserve Act and demanded action from the VA to address the improper scheduling practices and extended wait times for veterans seeking healthcare across Texas. The State of Texas has also helped to support a grant program to provide for a first-ever public- and private-funded mental health program for veterans in Texas. For far too long, big government bureaucracies have been failing our veterans. We will not rest in our drive to ensure that veterans get the care they deserve.”
Read the op-ed in its entirety here.
Sen. Cruz: We Must Always Honor Our Commitments to America’s Veterans
On Thursday, Sen. Cruz visited the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) in Houston, where he met with officials, toured the facility, and honored veterans in a Veterans Day ceremony.
“We are gathered here today to perform a very simple task – just to simply say ‘thank you’ to the men and women who have served our nation, who have stepped forward and risked everything,” Sen. Cruz said in his remarks. “I hope that all day today, all day tomorrow on Veterans Day, and all day on each of the days to follow for the next 365, that your friends, neighbors, families, and loved ones simply stop to say ‘thank you.’”
Cruz continued: "Our government needs to honor every commitment made to the men and women who have served and provide them with quality medical care with choice for every veteran to choose your own doctor."
Read the full release online here.
Distinguished Texan
- Sergeant First Class Ed Snow of Mount Vernon, Texas is being honored today at the 17th Annual Jake Simmons Freedom Award Dinner. Snow, a paratrooper veteran of World War II and the Korean War, Snow jumped into Normandy on D-Day in the dark of the night. And during the Korean War, he was held as a Prisoner of War for 14 months until the war ended. Ed Snow, like all of our nation’s veterans, has displayed extraordinary valor and service to our country.
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