Political Quotes

“I rise today to honor all of the brave Michigan veterans who have served in our Nation's military. When the scourge of slavery threatened to tear our Nation in two, Michiganders selflessly marched to war. When fascism rose in Europe, Michiganders built an Arsenal of Democracy and kept freedom alive. And when terrorists attacked our own country 20 years ago, Michiganders stood up and signed up. Over and over again, Michigan men and women have served our country to protect our freedoms. These veterans all fought different battles and had different missions. But all of them were patriots. All of them--and their families--made incredible sacrifices. And all of them were willing to lay down their own lives to protect their fellow Americans and this Nation we love. Perhaps there's no better Michigan example of this than Charles S. Kettles. Charles was born in Ypsilanti in 1930 and fell in love with flying while attending Edison Institute High School in Dearborn. Aviation was in his blood; his dad was a military pilot. In 1951, Charles was drafted into the Army. He attended Army Aviation School and served tours in Korea, Japan, and Thailand. He retired from Active Duty in 1956 and continued to serve in the Army Reserves. During the Vietnam war, the Army was in desperate need of helicopter pilots. So in 1963, Charlie volunteered for active duty and learned to fly the UH-1D, ``Huey.'' Those skills would save lives on May 15, 1967.…”