TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Fellow Airmen,
Originally observed only as George Washington’s Birthday to celebrate the life and accomplishments of our first president, Presidents Day has expanded to honor all presidents of the United States. The 1971 Uniform Monday Holiday Act positioned Presidents Day on the third Monday of February between the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington.
Each president is unique in contributing to the shaping of our country. George Washington was the Electoral College’s unanimous choice for president, and he served as a unifying force for the new nation. Abraham Lincoln maintained the Union through the Civil War and abolished slavery. Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981 which resulted in the desegregation of the Armed Services. These are just a few presidents among the many we have had in our lineage of leadership who have made significant contributions in shaping America.
Presidents Day also reminds us of the scope of our liberty in its very name and subject. The United States of America is “The Grand Experiment” of democracy because it is the first country with governance and leadership that is “by the people, for the people.” George Washington said, “The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American People.” We have the privilege and responsibility of choosing our representatives and exercising democratic opportunities many other countries do not have.
Whatever your personal plans for the weekend, whether they involve travel or enjoying time at home, remember there is no Air Force without you - our Airmen. You are vital in preserving our hard-won freedoms that even our very first president worked to establish. Our essential task of delivering combat power for America ensures our continued freedoms today and tomorrow, and it is my honor to serve alongside you.