LAS VEGAS CITY COUNCILWOMAN MICHELE FIORE SALUTES AMERICA'S VETERANS

Without Veterans, We Wouldn't have America. We Wouldn't Have Freedom. We Wouldn't Be Safe. Veterans Have Given All of Themselves, for All of Us.

Two nights ago, Mayor Carolyn Goodman cut the ribbon at the new Veterans Village. In her speech, she said: "Today while we sit in the comfort of these United States, and enjoy all the freedoms that so many have sacrificed for, and today each one still carries the effects and burdens of war: Seared in memories, nightmares, disease, injuries, pains... we thank you and pray for you. We extend our hands to you to help you along your pathway, back to feelings of comfort, of importance, and being fully integrated into a full life back here at home."

Arnie Stalk along with many other selfless individuals made Veterans Village a reality. It was built on the fact that our Veterans deserve respectable housing. Veterans Village is for our homeless Vets, including military women and their children, to help them get on their feet, and to provide them with shelter and comfort in the meantime. At the ceremony, Arnie said, "We will never let a veteran go without service; we'll never let a veteran walk out our door without helping him or her." Serving those who have served is their passion. They've partnered with ShadeTree, the VA, HUD, Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority, State of Nevada Mental Health, and many more, to make sure that people are helped and supported. They will continue to expand, spreading their love and compassion for our fellow humans and brave veterans. This is a giant leap in the right direction. Selflessness made this happen. Selflessness is what is needed to take care of the people who put their lives on the line for us. Mayor Goodman, myself, and everyone at the city is more than happy to cut through any red tape, needed to support this cause and to support our military veterans in this way.

A special thanks to our Chairman Michael Mcdonald for making the introduction between Dr. Arnie Stalk and our great President Trump. Also, special thanks to Commissioner Weekly, a special friend who's always here for all of us.

Mayor Carolyn Goodman, Myself, Secretary of State Barbara Cegaski, and Congresswoman elect Susie Lee.

Today, my Veterans Day started by riding Big Red in the Veterans Day Parade with Councilman Stavros Anthony and Councilman Cedric Crear. It is great to see so many of our brave people and their families, all together on this beautiful day.

Most of our National Holidays are created to mark a specific historical event, or to show gratitude toward certain persons. We have 3 holidays dedicated to honoring our military personnel: Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and Armed Forces Day. Veteran's Day honors all who have served. Memorial Day honors those who have died while serving. Armed Forces Day honors those who are currently serving. Veteran's Day, in particular, has an interesting history. 100 years ago, at 11 AM on November 11, 1918, an Armistice ended the fight with Germany in World War I. It was done on a private train parked in the forest of Compiegne. It took 3 days of reluctant negotiation. After that, Germany then had to turn over all of their planes and warships, release prisoners, etc... This was first known as "Armistice Day" which is also linked to "Remembrance Day" of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was only renamed Veterans Day in 1954.

On November 11, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson addressed the country on the first Armistice Day. These are his inspiring words of what he felt that the day meant. ADDRESS TO FELLOW-COUNTRYMEN The White House, November 11, 1919. A year ago today our enemies laid down their arms in accordance with an armistice which rendered them impotent to renew hostilities, and gave to the world an assured opportunity to reconstruct its shattered order and to work out in peace a new and juster set of international relations. The soldiers and people of the European Allies had fought and endured for more than four years to uphold the barrier of civilization against the aggressions of armed force. We ourselves had been in the conflict something more than a year and a half. With splendid forgetfulness of mere personal concerns, we remodeled our industries, concentrated our financial resources, increased our agricultural output, and assembled a great army, so that at the last our power was a decisive factor in the victory. We were able to bring the vast resources, material and moral, of a great and free people to the assistance of our associates in Europe who had suffered and sacrificed without limit in the cause for which we fought. Out of this victory there arose new possibilities of political freedom and economic concert. The war showed us the strength of great nations acting together for high purposes, and the victory of arms foretells the enduring conquests which can be made in peace when nations act justly and in furtherance of the common interests of men. To us in America the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service, and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of nations. WOODROW WILSON

I want to thank all the voters who took the time to exercise their duty as citizens this election. It is great to see democracy in action. As we put another election behind us, I want to congratulate the winners last night from both sides of the aisle. I look forward to working with all of them on the issues that face our city of Las Vegas and our great state of Nevada. Whether your side won or lost last night, we are all back on the same team today as citizens of the greatest nation on earth and residents of the state we love.

With Love and Liberty, Michele