The City of Madison paid tribute to the 48 million soldiers that have served for the United States military in the last 228 years by holding a ceremony at the Capitol Thursday.
Governor Jim Doyle spoke at the ceremony, reminding veterans and others in attendance of the prices the nation has paid for freedom.
\We owe [veterans] gratitude and respect far beyond that expressed in mere words,"" Doyle said.
Doyle added it was also important to be thinking of the soldiers currently overseas, reminding the audience the Wisconsin Marine Company lost three soldiers in Fallujah this past week.
""Veterans' Day is bittersweet this year,"" he said.
Doyle enrolled Wisconsin as a member of the U.S. Army's Partnership for Youth Success (PaYS) program Wednesday. Wisconsin is the first state in the nation to join this program, which provides state government job opportunities to soldiers finishing their active duty tours. Doyle said this benefits the state as well, because soldiers are highly trained and dedicated. He added as many as 40 percent of U.S. veterans are currently unemployed, but Wisconsin employs over 75 percent of its veterans.
""It's the right thing for us to do."" Doyle added.
Secretary of Veterans' Affairs John Scocos followed Governor Doyle, supporting Doyle's veteran programs. Scocos brought attention to Mission: Welcome Home, another program in Wisconsin designed to aid soldiers in their transition to civilian life.
""I want to change how we welcome home veterans,"" he said. ""Mission: Welcome Home is not about money, it's about heart.""
Overall, the ceremony received a positive response from many veterans in attendance. Larry Danielson, a Korean War veteran, was very pleased.
""Seeing the middle school choir perform made me feel like it was all worth it,"" Danielson said.
