103 Powerful Veterans Day Quotes To Salute Our Heroes

Veterans Day is a federal holiday that is observed every year on November 11th. It is a day that we honor the men and women who have served in the U.S. military. As opposed to Memorial Day, which honors those who have died in battle, Veterans Day celebrates all veterans, including those still with us.

Originally called Armistice Day, the commemoration was initiated by President Woodrow Wilson on November 11, 1919, to signify the end of World War I. In 1928, it became a national holiday to honor the soldiers who fought in World War I. However, on June 1, 1957, Congress amended the holiday by changing the wording from “armistice” to “veteran” to recognize veterans who fought in all wars.

In honor of Veterans Day, here are some quotes to show our appreciation to the heroes who have put their lives on the line to protect and serve our country.

Veterans Day Quotes To Salute Our Heroes (1-14)

1. “Home of the free because of the brave.” – Mark Twain
2. “ True Heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others, at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.”- Arthur Ashe
3. “Heroes are made by the paths that they choose, not the powers they are graced with.” – Brodi Ashton
4. “It doesn’t take a hero to order men to go into battle. It takes a hero to be one of the men who goes into battle.”- General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr.
5. “Without heroes, we are all plain people, and don’t know how far we can go.”- Bernard Malamud
6. “ A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”- Joseph Campbell
7. “How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” –Maya Angelou
8. “Never was so much owed by so many to so few.” – Winston Churchill
9. “Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay. But we can honor their sacrifice and we must.” – Barack Obama
10. “Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it…it flies with the last breath of each soldier protecting it.” –Unknown
11. “We owe our World War II veterans-and all our veterans – a debt we can never fully repay.”-Doc Hastings
12. “If a man hasn’t discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.”- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
13. “Patiently, we wait for their return. With a worried heart, we hope that they’re still fine and strong. Gratefully, we thank and salute them for being our great heroes.”- Unknown
14. “ We are the Land of the free” because of the bravery of our men and women who fought the battle for our liberty. With sincere gratitude and pride,we salute you and wish you celebrate this day dedicated for our heroes, Veterans!” – Unknown

Veterans Day Quotes That Express Our Gratitude (15-24)

15. “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them.” – John F. Kennedy

1. “ The willingness of America’s veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude.” –Jeff Miller
2. “ We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” –Cynthia Ozick
3. “Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude.”- Harry S. Truman
4. “When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep?”- George Canning
5. “No one had served this country better than our greatest Veterans! They sacrificed their lives for the sake of many and for the freedom of our country. With great gratitude, we salute you for the honor and freedom you brought to this country.”-Unknown
6. “I respect every soldier, from every country, who serves beside us in the hard work of history. America is grateful, and America will not forget.”- George W. Bush
7. “We thank you for your great efforts, the way you protect us makes us feel safer and at ease. With great gratitude from the bottom of our hearts.” –Unknown
8. With our hearts filled with gratitude and joy and eyes filled with tears, we would like to thank our brave men and women who risked their lives and sacrificed everything for the sake of our country so that we can live a better life.”- Unknown
9. “We recognize and celebrate the heroes all of our veterans, we shall forever be grateful. You inspire and encourage us, your unselfishness, your courage, and your willingness to protect our freedom- no words can express our thanks.” – Kate Summers

Quotes About The Cost of Freedom (25-36)

25. “May we think of freedom not as the right to do as we please, but the opportunity to do what is right.”- Peter Marshall

1. “Without our veterans, we wouldn’t have the greatest gift in life- freedom. Thank you for your bravery and sacrifices. Happy Veterans Day!”- Sonya Parker
2. “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility.”- Eleanor Roosevelt
3. “The veterans of our military services have put their lives on the line to protect the freedoms that we enjoy. They have dedicated their lives to their country and deserve to be recognized for their commitment.” – Judd Gregg
4. “Sometimes you have to pick the gun up to put the gun down.” – Malcolm X
5. “Only our individual faith in freedom can keep us free.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
6. “America’s veterans have served their country with the belief that democracy and freedom are ideals to be upheld around the world.”- John Doolittle
7. “There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.”- Alexander Hamilton
8. “The precondition to freedom is security.”- Rand Beers
9. “Our soldiers have nobly fought to protect freedom since our country’s birth, and have fought to protect those that could not protect themselves, even in foreign lands when called upon.”-John Linder
10. “The secret of happiness is freedom, and the secret to freedom, courage.”-Thucydides
11. “ A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom.”- Bob Dylan

Courageous Veterans Day Quotes (37-50)

1. “The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.”- Benjamin Disraeli
2. A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but the strength of his heart.”-Hercules
3. The hero is the man dedicated to the creation and/or defense of reality-conforming, life-promoting values.”-Andrew Bernstein
4. “This country has not seen and probably will never know the true level of sacrifice of our veterans.”- Thomas M. Smith
5. “Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared to death.”-General Omar Bradley
6. “The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone: it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.”- Patrick Henry
7. Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear- not absence of fear.” – Mark Twain
8. “I’ll tell you what bravery really is. Bravery is just determination to do a job that you know has to be done.” –Audie Murphy
9. “Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul.”- Michel de Montaigne
10. “Peace has victories but it takes brave men and women to win them.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson
11. “When the will defies fear, when the duty throws the gauntlet down to fate when honor scorns to compromise with death-that is heroism.”- Robert Green Ingersoll
12. “ For the veteran, thank you for bravely doing what you’re called to do so we can safely do what we’re free to do.”- Unknown
13. “ To be a hero is to be courageous enough to die for something.” – Criss Jami

50. “Heroes take journeys, confront dragons and discover the treasure of their true selves.”- Carol Lynn Pearson

Veterans Day Quotes That Honor our Heroes (51-58)

1. “Honoring the sacrifices many have made for our country in the name of freedom and democracy is the very foundation of Veteran’s Day.”- Charles B. Rangel
2. “Their remembrance be as lasting as the land they honored.”- Daniel Webster
3. “While only one day of the year is dedicated solely to honoring our veterans, Americans must never forget the sacrifices that many of our fellow countrymen have made to defend our country and protect our country and protect our freedom.” – Randy Neugebauer
4. “We come, not to mourn our dead soldiers, but to praise them.” – Francis A. Walker
5. “In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veteran’s organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose.”-Dwight D. Eisenhower
6. “We remember those who were called upon to give all a person can give, and we remember those who were prepared to make that sacrifice if it were demanded of them in line of duty, though it never was. Most of all, we remember the devotion and gallantry with which all of them ennobled their nation as they became champions of a noble cause.” –Ronald Regan
7. “We gather to remember, to honor those who’ve died. And thank God for the veterans who still stand at our side.”- Greta Zwann
8. “Today is the day we should reminisce for those who fought valiantly for the pride, honor, and freedom of our country.”- Unknown

Quotes About Treating Our Veterans With The Respect They Deserve (59-69)

1. “ Caring for veterans shouldn’t be a partisan issue. it should be an American one.”- Jennifer Granholm
2. “ It’s about how we treat our veterans every single day of the year. It’s about making sure they have the care they need and the benefits that they’ve earned when they come home. It’s about serving all of you as well as you’ve served the United States of America.” –Barack Obama
3. “On this Veterans Day, let us remember the service of our veterans, and let us renew our national promise to fulfill our sacred obligations to our veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much so that we can live free.” –Dan Lipinski
4. “America’s veterans deserve the very best health care because they’ve earned it.”- Jim Ramstad
5. “But this Veteran’s Day, I believe we should do more than sing the praises of the bravery and patriotism that our veterans have embodied in the past. We should take this opportunity to re-evaluate how we are treating our veterans in the present.”-Nick Lampson
6. “As a former veteran, I understand the needs of veterans, and have been clear-we will work together, stand together with the Administration, but we will also question their policies when they shortchange veterans and military retirees.”- Solomon Ortiz
7. “Because all of us believe and understand in the fabric of the common bond of why we call ourselves American is to care for the men and women who wear the uniform: and when they take off the uniform, we care for them when they are veterans.”-Steve Buyer
8. “ We owe an immeasurable debt to our veterans, to the fallen, and to the families who love them. Just as our servicemen and women have taken care of us, we must also take care of them. It is our sacred duty as a country to be there for our heroes when they need us most.”- Justin Trudeau
9. “The sanctity of our battlefields, monuments, and veterans institutions is of utmost importance to preserve military history and pay respect to those who fought.”- Henry Waxman
10. “The valor and courage of our young women and men in the armed services are a shining example to all the world, and we owe them and their families our deepest respect.”- Bill Frist

69. “The veterans of our military troops have risked their lives in the battle to protect the freedom we enjoy. They have sacrificed and devoted their lives to their country and deserve to be recognized for their commitment.”- Unknown

Quotes To Thank Our Military (70-78)

70. “To those in uniform serving today and to those who have served in the past, we honor you today and every day”-Unknown

1. “For your bravery, hard work, and dedication to our country, we thank you.”-Unknown
2. “Not only should we thank the military this Veteran’s Day, but we should resolve to thank them throughout the year for the vital service they perform for our country.”- Unknown
3. “To our men and women in uniform, past, present, and future, God bless you and thank you.” – Unknown
4. “Thank you for the sacrifices you and your families are making. Our Vietnam Veterans have taught us that no matter what our positions may be on policy, as Americans and patriots, we must support all of our soldiers with our thoughts and prayers.”- Zack Wamp
5. “In this Veterans Day, we stop and are thankful for all those who have fought in wars so that we may all enjoy our freedom. The bravery and risk that these men and women took will not be forgotten.”- Catherine Pulsifer
6. “To all who served as our armed forces, we thank and salute you! Your sacrifices in honor and duty for our nation are worthy to be praised. You truly are our heroes.”- Unknown
7. “Saying thank you won’t be enough because greater are your sacrifices just to fight for our freedom. Thank you for all the hard work. With great pride, we salute and honor all our soldiers.”- Unknown

Veterans Days Quotes About Making A Difference (78-84)

78. “Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world, but The Marines don’t have that problem”- Ronald Reagan

1. “ Heroism doesn’t always happen in a burst of glory. Sometimes small triumphs and large hearts change the course of history.” – Mary Roach
2. “In the face of impossible odds, people who love this country can change it.”-Barack Obama
3. “Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.”- Billy Graham
4. “It is the soldier, not the poet who has given us freedom of speech.”- Zell Miller
5. “ Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor also to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field and serves, as he best can, the same cause.”- Abraham Lincoln
6. “Twenty-five million veterans are living among us today. These men and women selflessly set aside their civilian lives to put on the uniform and serve us.”-Steve Buyer

Patriotic Quotes For Veterans Day (85-94)

1. “I think there is one higher office than president and I would call that patriot.”- Gary Hart

86. “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.”- G.K. Chesterton

1. “Our veterans accepted the responsibility to defend America and uphold our values when duty called.” – Bill Shutser
2. “Who kept the faith and fought the fight; The glory theirs, the duty ours.”- Wallace Bruce
3. “Soldier, when committed to a task, can’t compromise. It’s unrelenting devotion to the standards of duty and courage, absolute loyalty to others, not letting the task go until it’s been done.”- John Keegan
4. “The reward of one duty is to power to fulfill another.”- George Eliot
5. “We sleep peaceably in our beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on our behalf.” –George Orwell
6. “At the beginning of a change, a patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.”- Mark Twain
7. “These fallen heroes represent the character of a nation who has a long history of patriotism and honor-and a nation who has fought many battles to keep our country free from the threats of terror.”- Michael N. Castle
8. “Tragically, the effort to make America and the world safer and to defend freedom around the world is not without an enormous cost to this Nation in terms primarily of lost lives and those who bear the scars and the wounds of war, and their families who must bear these losses.”- John Warner

Inspirational Veterans Day Quotes (95-103)

1. “We don’t know them all, but we owe them all.”- Unknown
2. “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with lots of 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 the nations.”-Woodrow Wilson
3. “We recognize and celebrate the heroes all of our veterans, we shall forever be grateful. You inspire and encourage us, your unselfishness, your courage, and your willingness to protect our freedom- no words can express our thanks.” – Kate Summers
4. The soldier is the Army. No army is better than its soldiers. The soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country.” – General George S. Patton
5. “Better than honor and glory, and History’s iron pen, was the thought of duty done and the love of his fellow men.”- Richard Watson Gilder
6. “In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” – Jose’ Narosky
7. “ The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.” – Douglas MacArthur
8. “The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous.”- Frederick Douglass
9. “ Your valiance, loyalty, and sacrifice for this nation will never be forgotten. Wishing you a Happy Veterans Day!” -Unknown

Final Thoughts

Whether they served in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, or other branches of the U.S. Military veterans are a significant part of our nation. Our heroes sacrificed their lives and left behind all that they knew and loved to protect and serve our country and fight for freedom. Also, they helped other nations who needed help. For this, we are forever grateful for their loyalty, courage, and hard work. Happy Veterans Day to all those who served in the Armed Forces!

Which of these quotes are your favorites? I would love to hear them in the comments.

Until next time.

Thanks for reading.

Yours Truly,

Tracy