Peace Through Strength: Personal Stories from Congressional Veterans on Serving in the Military in the Post 9/11 Era
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the wake of September 11, 2001, a generation of Americans stepped forward to defend our freedoms and protect the homeland. Today, many of these distinguished military veterans now serve in Congress and have committed themselves to ensuring an event like this never happens again.
In a new episode of the Right to the Point podcast, RSC National Security Task Force Chair Zach Nunn is joined by Reps. Troy Downing and John James to reflect on one of the nation’s darkest days and share deeply personal stories of how 9/11 called them to service. Their courage and determination to serve in the wake of tragedy represents the very best of America.
Listen to the full episode here on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Rumble.
Highlights from the episode are below:
Rep. Zach Nunn: "This week, we remember the 24th anniversary of September 11, where we lost not only 2,977 Americans, but we stood united in our resolve to protect this country. 24 years on, thank God we've not had another major terrorist attack on U.S. soil. This is the epitome of what Reagan called peace through strength, but it's also the reflection of warriors who served in uniform and came back to public service, who have been keeping this nation safe through their leadership."
Rep. Troy Downing: “I'm embarrassed to admit it, that it took such an event to wake me up, but I had to do something about it.”
Rep. John James: "And so as we watched, we understood at that moment that we weren't there to become Rhodes scholars. We weren't there to win Heisman trophies. We were there to lead men and women into battle, but most importantly, back out. We were there. We were trusted by the people of this nation to fight for our freedom."
Rep. Zach Nunn: “You know, we're 24 years on from 9/11 and as a guy who flew multiple combat sorties in both Afghanistan and Iraq, I think we all share the bonds of war, but we also share mission focus on what we have to do, whether it's on the battlefield or now in Washington, D.C."