Our Veterans Day Message
WtV Community,
Every Veteran’s Day, I’m increasingly reminded of two seemingly conflicting things: how long ago it seems that I wore a uniform but how close I still feel to the community of veterans and military family members that I served alongside. Even though it has been almost a decade since I left the Air Force, I still well up with pride and patriotism when I think about the women and men that I had the privilege of serving our country with - and I understand a little better why the stories my dad tells of the people he served with over 50 years ago sound a lot more like memories of close family members than friends or work colleagues. The more I think about it, the more I appreciate how special and unique that is.
When the small group of us who founded this organization back in 2021 came together, we were total strangers with the exception that we had all served - or in Ellen’s case, had married a service member. None of us knew each other from inside or outside the military, but we all shared a belief that if we could tap into that bond on a bigger scale, we could do something powerful for our democracy and country as a whole. The last 2 years have proven that belief was justified thanks to all of you, and we have so much more to do together.
Between now and next Veteran’s Day, we will have gone through the 2024 election cycle, and I think we can all agree that there is much work to do. Now more than ever, our country needs the strength of our community to be a visible source of trust and confidence, and you will see us reaching out more on how to join campaigns and programs like Vet the Vote in the coming months. If you would also like to make a financial contribution to We the Veterans, please donate here.
You will certainly hear it multiple times this weekend, but thank you for your service past and present - and thank you for supporting this important work. Even though it’s been years since I’ve worn the uniform, I still feel that same sense of pride and community with all of you.
In service,
Anil Nathan
Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of the Board
We the Veterans Foundation