Time Must Not Dim the Glory of Their Deeds
Prepared Remarks by Rear Admiral Mike Smith (Ret.)
Unite for Veterans Event
Good Afternoon,
I’m the founder and President of National Security Leaders for America-- or NSL4A—a one-of-a-kind, bipartisan, pro-democracy organization of over 1300 retired admirals, generals, and senior enlisted; former ambassadors, elected officials, cabinet secretaries, and senior executives. Collectively, our members represent centuries of service to this nation—service forged through experience, sacrifice, and hard-earned lessons.
Perhaps the most important of those lessons is this: when a nation breaks its promises to its veterans, it does more than betray its values—it weakens its security and puts the future readiness of our armed forces at risk. Our ability to recruit and retain the very best of each generations’ leaders is undermined. Honoring those who served isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s essential to the strength and resilience of our democracy.
This is not an academic discussion for me.
I stand before you today not just as a retired Rear Admiral, but more importantly, as the son of a Vietnam veteran, the nephew, son-in-law, brother-in-law, and brother of Navy and Marine Corps veterans. I am someone, not unlike many here today, whose life has been shaped by the service and sacrifice of generations.
My father also served in the Navy and remained on active duty into the early 1980s. I remember calling him during my time at the Naval Academy to ask about fleet readiness for a paper I was writing. His response was sobering. Ships were undermanned, underfunded, and struggling. Not because the sailors weren’t committed or due to poor leadership. It was because our country had turned its back on those who served.
The public mood after Vietnam had shifted, and with it, support for our military faded. The scars from that betrayal didn’t just affect those who came home—they bled into combat readiness, morale, and recruitment. This not only directly impacted the military, but it also threatened our National Security at the height of the Cold War and when the risk from terrorism began to expand globally.
That conversation stayed with me. It was my first personal glimpse into a national pattern—one we’ve seen too many times before.
After Korea, our veterans were met with silence. After Vietnam, with scorn. These men and women didn’t ask for parades—they needed care, opportunity, and dignity. Instead, they were forgotten, and the institutions that were supposed to support them were gutted or neglected. The consequences weren’t just moral failings—they had strategic costs. Recruitment fell. Readiness suffered. Trust eroded.
It took hard work and national leadership to turn that tide. During my time in service, I witnessed our country begin to learn from past mistakes. We reinvested in our forces, we renewed our commitments, and we sent a message to future generations: if you step forward to serve, your nation will always stand behind you.
That belief mattered—especially after the terrorist attacks on 9/11.
The country saw a new generation raise their hands and volunteer to serve in what would become the longest war in American history. This all-volunteer force carried the weight of 20 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many served not just once, but two, three, even four tours. I remember standing in Iraq as the then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Mike Mullen, addressed a group of Army soldiers. He asked them how many were on their second deployment. Countless hands rose. Then he asked about third tours. Hands stayed up. I’ll never forget the look in their eyes—stoic, resolved. And I’ll never forget thinking about the families behind those hands, holding things together back home through deployment after deployment.
Those young Americans trusted in something essential: that their country had their and their families’ backs. They would not become the next forgotten generation. They served with a solid foundation of faith in the promises made to each of them — that their nation would care for their health, honor their continued service, and respect their sacrifice. They endured tour after tour through 20 years of war believing in the country’s promises.
And now, I stand here ashamed. I stand here in disbelief. I stand here shaking with rage that it appears our nation’s promises are about to be abandoned.
We’re hearing of proposals to dismantle the VA, to fire thousands of veterans in civil service, to politicize the government positions they’ve earned. We’re seeing the slow erosion of appreciation, replaced by indifference—or worse, contempt. The fading echoes of “thank you for your service” are being drowned out by the new message that veterans are quote “not fit to have a job” unquote.
If together we can’t stop this now, we risk repeating the very mistakes we swore never to make again. We risk undermining the hard work Republican and Democratic administrations put forward to rebuild our armed forces, to renew our commitments, and to build the greatest military in the world.
At the end of World War I, General John Pershing said of the fallen, “Time must not dim the glory of their deeds.” That quote adorns our memorials. It’s etched into our national conscience. And it must apply to both those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and to those who went into harm’s way. Because this isn’t about nostalgia—it’s about national security.
When we forget our veterans, we damage our readiness.
When we push them out of government, we lose skilled, principled leaders.
When we undercut the VA, we threaten the health and well-being of millions who served.
This is not only unjust. It is unwise.
Because the strength of our future force depends on the credibility of our past commitments.
A nation that keeps its promises will always have patriots willing to serve. A nation that forgets… may one day find no one answering the call.
Let us not forget.
Let us not repeat history’s failures.
Let us ensure that time never dims the glory— nor the obligations—their deeds demand.
Thank you
