As Americans prepare to honor Veterans Day in 2025, the nation finds itself reflecting on the meaning of service, sacrifice, and remembrance. Two voices—historian John Monsky and Congressman Troy Downing—have emerged this week to offer perspective on the holiday’s origins, its evolving significance, and the challenges facing veterans and their families today.
On Monday, November 10, historian John Monsky appeared on “New York Tonight” to discuss the roots of Veterans Day and its deep connections to New York City. According to Monsky, the holiday’s history is not just a matter of national commemoration, but also a story that is intimately tied to the city’s own legacy of service and remembrance. Monsky also announced an upcoming documentary that will delve into these themes, promising to shine a light on the stories behind the day Americans set aside to honor those who have served.
While Monsky explored the past, Rep. Troy Downing (R., Mont.) offered a personal and political reflection on what Veterans Day means in the present. In an interview with the Washington Reporter, Downing shared his unconventional journey to military service and the lessons he has carried from the battlefield to the halls of Congress. His message was clear and heartfelt: “Service is a noble act.”
Downing’s path began far from the traditional pipeline to military life. “I was the product of an unplanned pregnancy of an unwed teenage mom,” he recalled. Despite lacking family money or connections, he built a successful business career. But the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, changed everything. “When September 11th hit and this nation was under attack, it made me think: what have I ever done to deserve this country?” Downing said. “This country is one of the few places you can be the product of an unplanned pregnancy of an unwed teenage mom, without family money, without family connections, and be as successful as I was, and I needed to feel like I deserved it.”
Determined to give back, Downing walked into a recruiter’s office at age 34. “I used to teach at New York University. I’ve got a pilot’s license. What can you do with me?” he asked the recruiter. The response was blunt: “How old are you?” When Downing replied, “34,” the recruiter said, “Good, 35 is the cutoff.” With no prior military experience, Downing became the oldest man in his boot camp class, but he applied himself and graduated with honors. He was soon flying 22,000-pound helicopters in formation, just 50 feet above the desert floor at night, using night vision goggles to rescue wounded soldiers during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. “We find busted up kids out in the desert and bring them home,” he recounted, describing a mission that, for him, felt like a calling.
After two deployments to Afghanistan and years of service, Downing’s military experience shaped not just his worldview but also his political career. Sworn into Congress in January 2025, he was joined in Washington by many of his fellow veterans—“the best people, best friends I’ve ever had.” Downing emphasized the enduring bonds formed in service, noting, “It was an incredible honor for me when I was sworn into Congress last January, having a bunch of them come out to celebrate my success in getting into Congress, and it was because these continue to be good friends that still obviously care for me, and I still care for them.”
Downing’s perspective on military service extends beyond personal pride. He has been a vocal supporter of the Trump administration’s use of Article II powers for military actions, including drone strikes against suspected drug traffickers in Venezuela and the targeted strike against Iran’s nuclear capabilities. “President Trump, with his Article II authority, and his position as Commander in Chief, has not just a right and ability, but also a duty, to make sure that he’s protecting the nation and our troops in exigent circumstances,” Downing asserted. He credited the administration with acting on “clear and convincing evidence” and contrasted these actions with what he described as the Biden administration’s “politically motivated” withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. “That’s going to be a tarnish on the American reputation for a long time,” Downing said. “His decision harmed and killed Americans. It was devastating. I think this was one of the most embarrassing things I’ve seen in my lifetime in terms of military operation in the United States.”
For Downing, the consequences of the Afghanistan withdrawal go beyond immediate loss. He warned that the damage to America’s reputation could make it harder to find allies in future conflicts. “If you are not going to do the right thing when pulling out of a country like that, who’s going to help us the next time we need interpreters? The next time we need the folks who helped us there knowing that they’re not going to be left in the cold by the United States in a future conflict… that damage is profound and is not going to be easily remedied.”
Back home, Downing has focused on supporting veterans and their families in tangible ways. He introduced the National Cemetery Access Act, which would require national cemeteries to remain open during federal holidays. The impetus came from local frustrations, such as when Custer National Cemetery at the site of the Battle of Little Bighorn was closed on Memorial Day. “Those of us who have served, we’ve lost colleagues, we’ve lost friends, we’ve lost family members,” Downing explained. “On Memorial Day, you want to go to the grave of one of your friends, a family member, somebody that you’ve gone to war with, who unfortunately paid the ultimate sacrifice, you can’t lay a wreath because the federal government has shut that cemetery down. I think it’s silly and unreasonable to not allow people to remember and memorialize and celebrate these sacrifices, these losses, especially on these holidays that are meant to elevate that remembrance.”
Downing also addressed the impact of government shutdowns on military families, criticizing the political maneuvering in Washington that has left service members and veterans “essentially being left out in the cold and not being able to fend for themselves and their families.” He called the situation “a travesty” and urged lawmakers on both sides to put politics aside for the sake of those who have served.
Despite the challenges, Downing’s message to Americans—young and old, prospective recruits and seasoned veterans alike—is one of hope and encouragement. “Service is a noble act,” he reiterated. “That is worth fighting for, that is worth participating in, that is worth that service, and I think that more folks should think about that opportunity to serve their country, because not only is it giving back for all of the opportunities that we’re given freely, but there’s so much personal reward in knowing that you’re part of the solution and not part of the problem.”
As the country marks another Veterans Day, the voices of Monsky and Downing serve as reminders that America’s story of service is still being written—one sacrifice, one act of remembrance, and one call to duty at a time.
