Letter: Cost of freedom isn’t free

Veterans Day celebrates and honors the sacrifice and achievements of the nearly 22 million living Americans who served our nation, at home and abroad, during war and peace.

We at Veterans Affairs not only honor our service members past and present, but the family members who supported them, often as they struggled with issues as a result of their service.

When the world is threatened, it calls on America and we call on our service members who serve as our defenders, war-fighters, peacemakers and peacekeepers.

Veterans Day is one day a year. Year-round, VA staff, volunteers and medical residents at facilities across the Pacific Northwest — about one-third of which are veterans themselves — are privileged and humbled to support a mission: To fulfill President Lincoln’s promise to care for those “who shall have borne the battle,” and for their families and their survivors, by serving and honoring the men and women who are America’s veterans.

The VA is implementing MyVA (www.va.gov/myva), the largest transformational project in the department’s history. We’re updating systems and procedures to better serve veterans; our goal is to become the top customer-service agency in the federal government.

The cost of our freedom isn’t free; it’s been paid for by the sacrifices of those who have served and fought for the flag of our nation and all it represents.

Today, we at the VA want to thank veterans and their families. We are privileged to serve our American veterans.