This afternoon I had the opportunity to visit the Lexington Rotary Club in Fayette County.  While I always enjoy getting to see long-time friends and community leaders, sometimes the people I meet for the first time make the experience the most rewarding.  That was certainly the case this afternoon when I met a young veteran from Wilmore.  Joe Roche is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and made a point to introduce himself to me after the luncheon had ended.  He shared with me his experiences in Iraq, as well as his desire to see the mission through.  But as he began to thank me for my leadership in Washington, I stopped him. 

I told him, “I am the one who should be thanking you.  The work you and your fellow soldiers are doing over there is important, and I am proud of what you have accomplished.”  This encounter reaffirmed for me the amazing dedication and honor service members display on a daily basis.  They make us all proud to be Americans.