President's Speech

On behalf of the Membership and Executive Board of Brevard Federated Republican Women, I welcome you and thank you for making our 2025 Biennial Veterans & Military Appreciation Dinner a great success.

My only memory of US military from my teenage is a West Point documentary I watched. Which showed me only the brightest, bravest, and the most patriotic young men join the Military. (And the young men were so handsome). Not until we moved to close to my mother in law Indian River Colony Club in Brevard. One day my husband and I join Carol and her good friends General Gene Anderson and his wife Gloria Anderson for dinner. They were celebrating their grandson was accepted to Air Force Academy, most of their family members are military. Gloria said to me during the dinner “wait until you received all their person belongs were mailed back home in a month, they will realized that they don’t belong to you anymore, they belong to the military.” My eyes were wet at that moment. Yes, my children are my life, all the veterans are the children of parents, they are also the children of the country, we should treat our veteran as our children.

I don’t know what to say to our veterans, “Thank you for your service” seems too hollow for me, as BFRW members, we will follow our tradition to honor the sacrifice and dedication of our military members. They give their life to fight for the freedom for us, as Republican women, we will follow their step, to give our life to fight for the freedom for the future of our children.