Leadership Quote by Steve Buyer

The line is built like a ceremonial staircase: ultimate sacrifice, continued service, return to civilian life. Each clause moves the listener through the full lifecycle of military affiliation, ensuring no one in the room is left without a designated form of recognition. That’s the political intent: a blanket of honor wide enough to cover grief, pride, and transition, delivered in language that’s nearly impossible to argue with.

Buyer’s repetition of “For those who…” does more than sound solemn; it creates a roll call. The audience is asked to hear themselves or their loved ones inside the syntax. “We” is doing heavy lifting here, too. It’s an inclusive pronoun that turns a potentially divisive subject (war, policy, budgets, legitimacy) into a shared moral posture. The subtext is that national unity is achievable, at least briefly, through ritual gratitude. You don’t have to agree on what sent people into harm’s way to agree that they deserve thanks.

The careful shifts in verbs matter. “Grateful” for the dead suggests debt and humility, while “honor” for the living frames recognition as an ongoing civic practice, not a one-day sentiment. The final clause nods to the often-ignored aftermath: returning home isn’t a victory lap, it’s a re-entry, and it requires public acknowledgement.

As a politician speaking in a commemorative register, Buyer is also insulating the state from scrutiny. By elevating service as an unquestioned good, the rhetoric redirects attention from decisions made in offices to sacrifices made in uniforms.