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Message from Commander
11.24.04 (3:38 pm) [edit]
From: LTG James R. Helmly
Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve
Chief, Army Reserve

"In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity," President Abraham Lincoln saw the need for Americans to pause and give thanks for the "blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies."  His original Thanksgiving Day proclamation was issued on October 3, 1863, the same year as the bloody battles of Chancellorsville, Gettysburg and Chickamauga.  In the depths of despair, Lincoln's thoughts turned not to bitterness, but to gratitude.

Once again, our Nation is at war and families and friends of our Army Reserve Soldiers face a holiday season with a loved one far away from home.  Yet in the midst of this Global War on Terror, we have much to be thankful for.

We live in a free and prosperous country, a Nation "dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal," as Lincoln remarked at Gettysburg in 1863.  Since September 11, 2001, our Nation has not suffered a major terrorist attack on our soil.  For most of our citizens, food is cheap and plentiful.  We can travel easily around the country and even abroad.  Several weeks ago, we freely went to the polls and expressed our opinions about who should lead our country.

Perhaps most importantly, we can be thankful that we live in a time of great heroes.  On this Thanksgiving Day 2004, more than 51,000 Army Reserve Soldiers are mobilized around the world, sturdy sentries in the defense of freedom.  We are successfully waging a war on terror - without a single draftee.  Citizen-Warriors have voluntarily left behind their civilian pursuits to take up arms in the cause of liberty.  We are thankful for their service and sacrifice.

And, as Lincoln wrote, we commend to God's "tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable à strife in which we are unavoidably engaged."

To all of you, the dedicated men and women of the U.S. Army Reserve -- uniformed and civilian -- we offer special thanks for the difficult and dangerous work you are doing for the citizens of our great Nation. We wish all of you and your loved ones a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.  May God bless you and may He always bless the United States of America.
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