FORT BENNING, Ga., (Nov. 19, 2014) -- Soldiers, civilians and other members of the Fort Benning community came together Nov. 7 to honor the nation's veterans during a Veterans Day observance at Inouye Field.

The observance was held in conjunction with a basic training graduation for Soldiers from B Company, 2nd Battalion, 58th Infantry Regiment.

Col. Richard Timmons, commander of the 198th Infantry Brigade, took the opportunity to thank the veterans in attendance during the observance.

"To our veterans in attendance, I want to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation for your service, dedication and sacrifices during war and in peace," Timmons said. "We must never forget that our veterans have given us the chance to live in freedom today and the opportunity to look forward to tomorrow.

"Without their service, there would be no United States of America. From the Revolutionary War to the recent conflicts in both Iraq and Afghanistan, their service has won our freedoms, preserved our way of life, deterred our aggressors and brought peace, prosperity and security not only to this nation, but around the world. ... We are a nation that endures because of the courage of those who defend it. Our nation endures because of you and we celebrate your courage and commitment to the values that make this nation and this military great."

Timmons said holding the observance in unison with a basic training graduation was appropriate, and said it represented the continuation of our nation's military legacy.

"It is the Soldiers who now stand before you on this hallowed ground that are the gateway to the future and who will ultimately write the next chapter in the annals of military and world history," he said.

"(These Soldiers) walk in the footsteps of giants and true American heroes - our veterans."

He also said there was no better place to recognize America's veterans than Inouye Field, where soil from notable battlefields across the world has been gathered.

"As I paused to reflect on the setting for today's graduation and prepare my remarks, I was moved by what it represents - a silent testimony and memorial to those Infantrymen that have gone before us whose selfless service has helped shape the world we live in, provided for the security of our nation and built the Army that is the envy of the world," Timmons said. "This field, christened with soil from key battlefields from around the world, stands as a silent reminder and marks the location where pivotal struggles took place to determine the course of our nation's future and world history."