From veterans on Veterans Day

One veteran of Vietnam, with tears in his eyes:

"The 60s and 70s were not a very good political time for any of us. To be publicly recognized is huge. It means the world to me. We veterans are basically kind of quiet, we don't bring a lot of attention to ourselves, but to have someone else recognize us means a lot."

One veteran, with her daughter by her side, of more recent conflicts:

"Sometimes, especially in today's generation, we have a tendency to forget the sacrifices made on our behalf. These (Veterans Day) events are building patriotism in a country that feels like it's losing it."

Another veteran, who now serves in Congress:

"I hope we believe in American exceptionalism. There's something extraordinary about this country and you are ignorant of history if you don't believe it. Tens of millions of people throughout the world believe it too. They hope it's true, they want it to be true, because if this world is going to survive, it is because the United States is there to lead it."