🇺🇸 Veterans Day: Honoring My Father and the Values That Shaped Me

Like so many of his generation, my father answered the call to serve. His service was not for recognition or reward but out of love for this country.

As a first-generation Armenian-American, his sense of duty ran deep. The United States had opened its arms to his parents when they fled for their lives from their birthplace during the Armenian Genocide of 1915. He felt a deep responsibility to protect the nation that gave them refuge and opportunity.

After basic training at Fort Devens, he was deployed to Germany near the end of the Korean War, where he served in support of a field hospital. It was there that he picked up the woodworking and cabinet-making skills that became his lifelong profession.

Those skills built more than furniture. They built a future for our family and gave us the stability of a solid, middle-class upbringing.

From my parents, I inherited more than their love for this country. I also inherited their work ethic.

They believed in showing up every day, working hard, and doing your part to make your community stronger. That same spirit drives me today.

District 36 is full of people just like my parents. People who work hard, care deeply about their families, and quietly make Rhode Island a better place.

As we honor all those who have served, I think about the sacrifices they made and the values they stood for: service, discipline, and faith in something bigger than themselves.

This Veterans Day, I’m proud to honor my father and all those who have worn the uniform. Their service, and the lessons they left behind, remind us what it means to truly serve our community, our neighbors, and our state.

Happy Veterans Day to all who have served.

We salute you and owe you more than we can ever repay. 🇺🇸