Encouraging civilians to observe Veterans Day by listening, with respect and without judgment, to the stories of combat veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I have recently introduced a resolution that encourages every American to spend Veterans Day as a national day of listening to the experiences and stories of our nation's combat veterans, H. Res. 456.

With more than 1.7 million veterans who have served tours of duty in the most recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, a whole new generation of heroes has returned home from war and started the transition from military life to civilian life. These veterans have joined the ranks of the nearly 22 million military veterans in the United States.

These honorable men and women who have served in our armed forces have experienced unique and sometimes incomprehensible things while serving our country and as they have returned home. We owe them an immense debt of gratitude--and we can express our appreciation by asking about and listening to their experiences.

My resolution, H. Res. 456, calls upon all Americans to observe Veterans Day by offering to listen with respect and without judgment to the stories of combat veterans from all conflicts. Veterans often feel less isolated and suffer less when they are offered the chance to have ordinary, civilian citizens simply listen to them recount their experiences serving their country.

I invite my colleagues to join with me and encourage all citizens to honor the service of our nation's veterans this Veterans Day by listening to them share the stories of their military service.