Rep. Mike Bost, (R., Ill.) a Marine Corps veteran, currently serves as the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s chairman. His “journey to representing Illinois’ 12th District in Congress has been deeply influenced by the values instilled in me during my military service,” he wrote.

For more on Rep. Mike Bost’s efforts to keep the VA accountable, read HERE.

Prior to his time in office, Rep. Don Bacon (R., Neb.) spent nearly three decades in the U.S. Air Force, ultimately retiring as a Brigadier General. He reflected on the need for Americans to continue fighting to secure freedom for ourselves and for future generations.

“Like the generations before us, we need to make the tough decisions now that will preserve the greatest country in the history of mankind and that will allow us to prevail over the enemies of freedom,” Bacon wrote. “Only 5 percent of people in the history of mankind have lived in freedom; freedom is rare, precious, and fragile. We cannot take it for granted.”

Read HERE to finish Rep. Don Bacon’s exhortation to service.

Rep. Mike Waltz (R., Fla.), a combat decorated green beret, recently visited Normandy as part of a trip commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day. He reflected on that trip, and on the fighting spirit that has animated America since its inception.

“That spirit of courage and sacrifice is not confined to the past; it is a living legacy that continues to define the American military today,” Waltz wrote. “From the local militia armed with their own muskets at Lexington and Concord, to the GI’s who stormed the beaches of Normandy, to my fellow Green Berets who lost their lives in Afghanistan, America’s history is owed to those virtues.”

Read HERE for the rest of Rep. Mike Waltz’s reflections on his recent trip to Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

Rep. Scott Perry (R., Pa.), a Brigadier General in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, spent almost four decades in the military. “Each Independence Day,” Perry wrote, he is “reminded that my time in the military was spent fighting for the governing principles that made America the freest, most prosperous, and greatest country in history. At a time when these governing principles are constantly attacked and undermined by a bloated and weaponized federal government, we must remember the government overreach from which our Founding Fathers were so desperately seeking independence.”

Read HERE for more on Rep. Scott Perry’s thoughts about how today’s Americans are fighting battles similar to those they fought in 1776.

Rep. August Pfluger (R., Texas) spent decades as a fighter pilot in the Air Force. That experience “instilled in [him] a profound appreciation for not only the significance of our country but also for what it takes to protect it,” he wrote.

Read HERE for more on the lessons that Rep. August Pfluger learned from his time fighting ISIS as a fighter pilot.

Rep. Ryan Zinke (R., Mont.), the first Navy SEAL to be elected to Congress in 2014, has made getting veterans the care they need a priority of his: “As a Member of Congress, but more importantly as a retired Navy SEAL Commander, it is my duty to lead where duty calls,” he wrote. “And duty calls us to honor the fallen and serve our living warfighters in a way that cuts across party lines and unites our great nation.”

Read HERE about Rep. Ryan Zinke’s bipartisan efforts to expand treatment options for our nation’s heroes.

Rep. Jack Bergman (R., Mich.) spent 40 years in the Marine Corps, rising to the rank of lieutenant general. Now, Bergman is working on bipartisan legislation to ensure that “no veteran is forced to choose between a benefit and the embrace of loved ones at home in their final days,” he wrote.

Read HERE for more on Rep. Jack Bergman’s advocacy for veterans at all stages of their lives.

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R., Iowa) sees similarities between the values she learned in the military and the values her constituents embody: “In Iowa, we live by the values that define us as a nation,” she wrote. “From sunrise to sunset, Iowa’s farmers are hard at work to feed, fuel, and clothe the nation. Their toughness and dedication to helping others mirrors the spirit of all Americans who love their country, embrace opportunity and overcome all obstacles to build a better future.”

Click HERE to read more from Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks on this year’s celebration of America’s birthday.

Rep. Nick LaLota’s (R., N.Y.) years of service in the Navy taught him “the values of honor, courage, and commitment.” In his first term in Congress, his “mission remains the same: to serve the people, protect our freedoms, and fight every day for the community in which I grew up.”

Click HERE to read the rest of Rep. Nick LaLota’s Independence Day message.

Rep. Mike Rogers (R., Mich.) served America in the Army, as an FBI Special Agent, and in Congress. Now, he’s running to represent his native Michigan in the United States Senate: “We must reignite the cause of freedom across the country, give young Americans a military that is worth their service, and issue a call to be a part of something bigger than themselves,” he wrote. 

Click HERE to read Rep. Mike Rogers’s exhortation for Americans to reignite our desire to serve our country.

Captain Hung Cao spent decades in Special Operations. Now, he’s running for Senate in Virginia and is using his platform to raise awareness for treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). “Your scars, hidden by a smile or the busyness of everyday life, are real and worthy of healing,” Cao wrote. 

Click HERE to read the rest of Hung Cao’s story, and his message about the importance of seeking treatment.

Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dave McCormick’s path to military service was unusual. But after a successful career as a high school wrestler, he was recruited to West Point, and he never looked back: “It wasn’t easy, but I quickly grew to love West Point,” he wrote. “The idea of fighting to ensure that our exceptional nation remained a beacon of hope for generations to come was inspiring. These ideals gave me the strength to push through even the hardest days at West Point, the toughest training at Ranger School, and eventually combat in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm.”

Click HERE to read Dave McCormick’s call to service.

Retired Army Colonel Laurie Buckhout is running for Congress in North Carolina’s 1st District. During her time in service, she commanded over 800 troops in Iraq. Now she sees that “some of the same people coming across our border today are the terrorists I fought while overseas.” 

Click HERE to read Laurie Buckhout’s warning to Americans that our enemies abroad are taking advantage of our wide-open southern border.

Tom Barrett retired as a Chief Warrant Officer after over two decades in the military. Now, he’s running for Congress in Michigan’s open 7th District. While today is special, Barrett wants his kids “to be proud to wave our country’s flag not just on the Fourth of July, but every day. I hope all Americans can be proud of our country, not because we are perfect, but because we strive to become ‘more perfect’ every single day.”

Click HERE to read Tom Barrett’s hope for future generations of Americans.

Troy Downing is a combat veteran and auditor of Montana, who is running for Congress in Montana’s 2nd District. Downing enlisted in the U.S. Air Force/Air National Guard after 9/11, serving eight years in a Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) squadron and two tours of duty in Afghanistan, where he participated in multiple missions to rescue wounded soldiers on the battlefield. Today, he reflects on “the meaning and memories woven into the tapestry that is our ‘Star Spangled Banner.’”

Read HERE for more of Troy Downing’s reflections on our National Anthem.

“Independence Day holds profound personal significance,” for Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln and his family, he wrote. For him, “as a Marine Corps veteran who served on Marine One, my life epitomizes the American Dream. My grandfather immigrated to Stockton from Mexico, seeking better opportunities.” Now, Lincoln is running for Congress in California’s 9th District.

Read Kevin Lincoln’s Fourth of July message HERE.

State Rep. Gabe Evans (R., Colo.), who is running for Congress, spent a dozen years in the Army and Colorado Army National guard as a helicopter pilot and company commander. He knows that “‘leading from behind’ has never been a good foreign policy strategy.” 

Click HERE to read more about Gabe Evans’s lessons from his time serving overseas.

Congressional candidate in Kansas’s 2nd District Dr. Prasanth Reddy immigrated legally to America, and following the horrors of 9/11, he became an American citizen and joined the Air Force Reserve, where he’s served for almost two decades:. “My life story is proof of the American Dream,” he wrote. “But my life has shown that if new leaders don’t step up now, that Dream could become a nightmare.”

Click HERE to read more about Prasanth Reddy’s life living the American Dream.

Service runs in Minnesota Congressional candidate Joe Teirab’s family: “As the son of an immigrant and the grandson of a WWII POW, I know how valuable our freedoms are,” he wrote. “It’s why I joined the Marines. Our way of life is under attack, at home and abroad. I wanted to follow in my grandfather’s footsteps and serve my country by defending the American Dream from our foreign enemies.”

Click HERE to read more about how Joe Teirab is running for Congress.

Derrick Anderson, a decorated Green Beret, spent years fighting terrorists overseas and helping our allies secure their fragile democracies. For him, today “isn’t just about bourbon, or a steak, or a pool,” he wrote. “We are the leader of the free world. I’ve seen what that means as a Green Beret overseas. We go to rough places to protect this country and the people in it. And when our country has strong leadership, that sets an example for the world.”

Click HERE to read more about what the Fourth of July means to Derrick Anderson.

Gen. John King is an unlikely politician — he served in the military and in law enforcement, where he was even shot in the line of duty by a drug dealer: “My story is only possible here,” he wrote. “Only in America could a kid born and raised in Mexico come here the right way, and go on to become a Major General in our Army and a Police Chief, and statewide elected official” in Georgia. 

Click HERE to read more about John King’s life of service, and about his accomplishments as Georgia’s Insurance Commissioner of Georgia.