As he helped highlight the resilience and humility of the military community, Prince Harry reflected on his own time in the military during Wednesday night’s Salute to Freedom gala.
In a personal speech given at New York’s Intrepid Museum, The Duke of Sussex spoke on the eve of Veterans Day in the U.S. and Remembrance Day in the U.K. about the importance of serving veterans.
“I served 10-years in the military, including two tours of duty in Afghanistan—one as an FAC on the ground and in the dust with some of you, another as an Apache helicopter pilot in the air supporting and talking with you,” Harry said, addressing the hundreds of (vaccinated) guests who had gathered at the fundraising event. “My experience in the military made me who I am today, and I will always be grateful for the people I got to serve with—wherever in the world we were.”
He continued, “But in war, you also see and experience things you hope no one else has to. These stay with us, sometimes like a slideshow of images.”
The duke also spoke about creating the Invictus Games, a sporting event that helps honor the legacy of military men and women who have experienced injuries. Finding purpose after service, said Harry, is incredibly important.
“Many of us in this room understand why service members often feel isolated after they come home or once they leave the forces. Wouldn’t you?” he said. “For years, we (and our families) orient our entire lives around the mission, the duty, the commitment, and yes – the hurry up and wait. And when we return, we long for the same feelings and contributions: self-purpose, focus, service to others, and being part of a team.
Lee Morgan
Lee Morgan
The prince continued, “That’s why I created the Invictus Games. Not only to honor the legacy of those who have given so much, but to show everyone else what we know: that the men and women who have experienced service injuries, as well as their families, are the strongest people in the world...and they deserve a platform to be seen, a platform to be recognised, and a platform to be truly celebrated.”
Harry—who wore four medals and the cross for Knight Commander of Royal Victorian Order around his neck—went on to welcome five 2021 Intrepid Valor Award honorees. “You are part of the team of teams,” he said as he welcomed the group to the stage. “And we will always have your backs. You are not alone."
The Salute to Freedom gala not only recognizes extraordinary leadership and honors the men and women who serve, it also raises money for the Intrepid Museum’s programs for students and to support veterans, including educational experiences and helping veterans reintegrate into civilian life.
“We are so grateful to Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex for honoring and amplifying the stories of these heroes and helping to raise awareness for mental health support for our men and women in uniform,” Susan Marenoff-Zausner, president of the Intrepid Museum, told BAZAAR in a statement.
Lee Morgan
The gala was Harry and Meghan’s first black tie event since moving to California in March 2020 and was their second time in New York as a couple. For Harry—who said being in the capital city felt “great”—his list of experiences in the U.S. continues to grow. “Just last week, I went for a ride on the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile,” he laughed during his speech, “How’s that for living the American dream!”
Prince Harry’s Speech in Full:
Good evening everybody, it’s wonderful to be back on USS Intrepid a decade after my last visit – and a lot has changed since then. Just last week, I went for a ride on the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile – how’s that for living the American dream!
Thank you, Ken, for the kind introduction – My wife and I are so grateful for your ongoing partnership and we all deeply appreciate Fisher House’s longstanding commitment to military families. On any given night, 1000 families are sleeping at a Fisher House. It’s no exaggeration to say that your services are quite literally keeping families together when they need it most – so thank you!
Thank you, as well, to the Intrepid Museum for providing a community hub for those who have served, and to all the individuals and organisations here tonight who are dedicated to wrapping a sense of support around servicemembers after they leave their posts. Those who serve and who have served offer so much to their communities, the wider public, and to the private sector. As far as I’m concerned, they never abandon their commitments and ethics, because the values and principles of service are ingrained in every single one of them, and any business would be lucky to have them.
Tonight, we are here to honor a group of men and women whose lives are defined by service, purpose and resilience. This night is about [the honorees].
As many of us see it, service isn’t loud. Service is what happens in the quiet and when people aren’t looking. It’s about how we take care of each other every day. It’s about the camaraderie we share…the laughs, the comfort, the pain, the challenge, and yes, the banter.
Throughout my time in the military and after, I recognised and understood that for many who have served or are still serving—it might not feel right to stand out amongst the team and be recognised. But you deserve to be—and tonight, whether you like it or not, that is what’s happening. So, soak it up!
I’d also like to speak briefly about something else that, until recently, has existed in the darkness: the invisible wounds that we are all susceptible to. The scars on the inside that no one sees. For too long, invisible injuries were treated as just that—invisible—and were destined to be swept under the rug at the risk of shame, guilt, or just a lack of understanding.
Yet we now know that the mind is just like a muscle. It experiences trauma and pain, whether in conflict or at home, whether in uniform or not. It needs training…as well as recovery and care, no matter who you are and no matter what you do. Our physical health and mental health are one in the same, and just as much as we aspire to be physically fit, so too we need to be mentally fit. That’s a belief I held when we pioneered HeadFit, a first-of-its-kind resource for service members and those working across UK Defense, to train their minds just like they do their bodies. That’s how we get to ultimate human performance and unlock unknown potential in every single one of us. It is a belief I still hold as I work to increase access to mental fitness tools for all people across the world with the online coaching platform BetterUp.
Many of us in this room understand why service members often feel isolated after they come home or once they leave the forces. Wouldn’t you? For years, we (and our families) orient our entire lives around the mission, the duty, the commitment, and yes – the hurry up and wait. And when we return, we long for the same feelings and contributions: self-purpose, focus, service to others, and being part of a team.
I’ve lived in the US for close to two years now. I have to say, witnessing your support for all those that put themselves in harm’s way in defence of our freedoms and liberties –it’s remarkable and hugely respected. It reminds me of the deep reverence us Brits have for our military as well. The armed forces communities in both our countries share a special bond, and I’m grateful to have served in support of our joint allyship for many years.
As we honor and reflect on Remembrance Day in the UK, which shares a date tomorrow with Veterans Day here in the US, my hope is for all of us to continue to support the wellbeing (and recognize the value of) our troops, veterans, and the entire military and service family. We and they are better for it.
I served 10-years in the military, including two tours of duty in Afghanistan—one as an FAC on the ground and in the dust with some of you, another as an Apache helicopter pilot in the air supporting and talking with you. Nothing was more valuable than the time I got to spend with my soldiers in a shell scrape, eating an MRE in the back of a tank (thanks for the swaps), flying a mission overhead knowing those below were safer, or making each other laugh when it was needed the most. My experience in the military made me who I am today, and I will always be grateful for the people I got to serve with – wherever in the world we were.
But in war, you also see and experience things you hope no one else has to. These stay with us, sometimes like a slideshow of images.
That’s why I created the Invictus Games. Not only to honor the legacy of those who have given so much, but to show everyone else what we know: that the men and women who have experienced service injuries, as well as their families, are the strongest people in the world...and they deserve a platform to be seen, a platform to be recognised, and a platform to be truly celebrated.
By doing this, we can continue to be inspired by their resilience and humility.
In that same vein, tonight I am proud to be presenting the 2021 Intrepid Valor Award to the strongest people aboard this ship.
You have experienced, seen, and dealt with things that few have had to—though the crises we are increasingly experiencing as communities are not only felt by those in the military world, but by everyone.
Nevertheless, you are part of an everlasting bond. You are part of the team of teams. And we will always have your backs. You are not alone.
Now let’s hear their stories…
Please welcome our honorees, one by one, to the stage….
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io
Article From & Read More ( See Intimate Photos of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from 2021 Salute to Freedom Gala - HarpersBAZAAR.com )https://ift.tt/3n4FnV1
Entertainment
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "See Intimate Photos of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from 2021 Salute to Freedom Gala - HarpersBAZAAR.com"
Post a Comment