‘Maybe it’s worth one day to think about how good we have it,’ the VA secretary says ahead of this weekend’s military parade.
The nation’s Veterans Affairs chief hopes Americans take time to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army on June 14, calling it an opportunity to remember “how good we have it.”
Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Douglas Collins spoke to Steve Lance of NTD, the sister media outlet of The Epoch Times, on June 9 about the Army’s birthday celebration, his personal faith, and the progress VA hospitals have made in improving service to some 9 million former service members.
The interview will air at 5 p.m. ET on June 14 on NTD, ahead of its live coverage of the Army parade in Washington starting at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Pride in Our Veterans
The country will celebrate the Army’s founding with a military parade in Washington, which Collins believes is an important event for members of all armed services, past and present.
“Sometimes you just need to celebrate,” Collins said. “I think the president [understands that] there’s a national ethos out there that says we’re proud of our military.”
The Army, Navy, and Marine Corps were established in 1775, the Coast Guard in 1915, the Air Force in 1947, and the Space Force in 2019.
Collins said every person who has worn the uniform stands in the line of patriots who served their country, dating to the Revolution.
“They’re tracing their lineage back to the citizen soldier who went out and said, ‘We’re going to be a country. We’re not going to be told what to do,’” he said.
For citizens, Collins said, the event is an occasion to give thanks for those who are willing to sacrifice themselves to protect the nation.
“When you’re asleep at night, they’re the ones who are going to get called,” he said. “Maybe it’s worth one day to think about how good we have it.”
Collins is a chaplain in the Air Force Reserve with the rank of colonel. He was deployed to the Iraq War, stationed at Balad Air Base. He represented Georgia’s Ninth Congressional District from 2013 to 2021.
