The fact that we were able to do that and we were able to come together is one of the greatest testaments to what it means to be an American.

I think that when historians look back on what happened for my generation, this generation of veterans over the course of this past 10 years, what they’re going to see is that there was a
generation that emerged that volunteered to be of service in some of the most difficult and dangerous environments we’d every been presented with.  And that this was a generation that really worked with the courage of perseverance.  It was patience that allowed the victories that eventually came about in Iraq.  It was patience that eventually allowed us to capture Osama Bin Laden.  And I think that one of the things that will be recognized is that this was a
generation that stood up to be of service.

What’s uncertain yet, but what we need to see is that when this generation comes home that they come home to actually make our community stronger.  And that fight to see what’s gonna happen to this generation of veterans and how they’re going to be able to serve
at home, that fight is still up in the air, and that’s a fight that we still need to win.

Question:  What are the lessons you think this country learned about itself as a result of the 9/11 attacks?

Eric Greitens:  I think that one of the lessons that the country learned form the 9/11 attacks was that even in a moment of great tragedy, even in a moment of great difficulty, people were able to come together as Americans.  And when we were challenged, when we were assaulted, we were able to turn to each other and ask for help. And the fact that we were able to do that and we were able to come together is one of the greatest testaments to what it means to be an American.

I think one of the other things that I hope that we’ve learned from September 11th, is that in order to maintain that unity and maintain that strength and to maintain that sense of common
identity, we have to live for something larger than ourselves.  We all have to find a way, in our own lives, to be of service to others around us.  And when we do that, we become stronger and we build a stronger country together.