BY LTC DANIEL ROBERTS
New Mexico National Guard

I am incredibly proud to represent the soldiers and airmen of the New Mexico National Guard. We gather in unison on this eleventh day, of the eleventh month, at the eleventh hour. At this exact moment, over a century ago in 1918, the guns along the Western Front fell silent. The fighting stopped, ending World War I. While the formal peace agreements came later, it was driven by a single hope, this would be the war to end all wars. Today, we join our hearts with those millions who stood in silence over a century ago, carrying forward their legacy of remembrance.

Standing here today, we are literally just a stone’s throw away from where the landmark achievements of the Manhattan Project took place. This park is more than a scenic gathering place; it is a monument to the scientific brilliance, profound dedication, and sheer determination of those who worked in this secret city. Their efforts made monumental contributions to ending the Second World War.

When I look out across this crowd, I am deeply humbled. While I may be introduced as your guest speaker, the true guests of honor are the veterans and families sitting right here. If you are a veteran of the United States Armed Forces, would you please stand, or raise your hand if you are able, so we may recognize you?

Thank you for your service. It is my greatest privilege to stand among you.

When you look across this gathering, you see the living fabric of American freedom. We stand today in a community that understands national defense at its very foundation. Today, we pause to celebrate the men and women who took the oath to defend that security on the front lines.

This deep-rooted tradition of service runs quiet but strong in our state’s soil. We see it in the unbreakable courage of New Mexico’s own Guardsmen of the 200th and 515th Coast Artillery units, who faced the unimaginable ordeal of the Bataan campaign, the Death March, and subsequent imprisonment during World War II.

Their legacy of sacrifice connects directly to today’s Guardsmen, who stand ready to answer the call—whether deploying overseas to defend liberty or serving our local communities during times of natural disasters.

Veterans Day is our opportunity to honor that incredible legacy of courage, victory, and dedication.

As veterans, we are woven into the very fabric of this community. We are your neighbors, We are the first responders patrolling our streets, We are the engineers working at the Laboratory, we are the teachers in our classrooms, and the small business owners downtown.

Our service did not end when we took off the uniform; it simply changed shape as we returned home to build, protect, and lead the communities we love. Veterans are not a group to be pitied; we are a vital asset, a source of leadership, and the backbone of this nation’s character.

Yet, the true power of our veteran community lies in how we stand together long after the deployment ends. The bonds of camaraderie we forged in uniform do not expire; they become lifelong commitments to supporting one another. This is the very heart of this year’s theme: Veterans Helping Veterans & Their Families.

When we leave active service, we do not surrender our duty to one another. The battlefield changed, but the mission of camaraderie remained. While many transitions are smooth, we know that for some, the return home brings quiet challenges and the difficult task of finding a new mission in civilian life.

Veterans helping veterans is about the enduring power of our shared bond. No government program or agency can ever replicate the absolute trust of military brotherhood and sisterhood. It is the veteran who checks in on a friend, shares a cup of coffee, offers career guidance, or simply listens with an understanding ear. We are at our best when we continue to look out for one another, ensuring that the strength we forged in uniform continues to lift each of us up at home.

We cannot celebrate this theme without elevating the second half of that equation: Their Families.

Behind every veteran stood a family whose sacrifices were distinct, but equally meaningful. Our spouses ran households alone while we were serving. Our children learned to adapt to challenges far too early, and our parents spent endless nights praying for our safe return. Because of their past sacrifices, our present gratitude to them must endure.

Within this circle of sacrifice, we must separate and hold high our Gold Star families, who bear the unique and painful loss of a loved one who died in service. We carry a sacred, continuing responsibility to remember, honor, and support them. A community that stands by the family truly honors the veteran.

As we leave here today, let our gratitude take the form of direct, everyday action:

 Reach out to a fellow veteran. Call them up, grab a coffee, or just catch up.

 Support our local veteran organizations right here in town—from American Legion Post 90 to VFW Post 8874, who work tirelessly to keep our bond alive.

 Thank a veteran’s family, letting them know that their sacrifices are remembered and deeply honored.

On behalf of the New Mexico National Guard, thank you for keeping the spirit of service alive here at Ashley Pond.

May God bless our veterans, our military families, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.

Abour LTC Roberts

LTC Daniel Roberts serves as the 111th Special Troops Commander as well as the 515th Regimental Training Institute AO for the New Mexico National Guard. After graduating from Los Alamos High School, he began his military career in 2003 as an enlisted UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter mechanic, later serving as a Crew Chief and Flight Instructor during back-to-back tours in South Korea. In 2005, he was selected for the Army’s Green to Gold program, earning his commission in 2009 alongside a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology from the University of New Mexico.

Throughout his tenure with the NM National Guard, LTC Roberts has served across key organizations, including C Company 171st Aviation the 1115th Transportation Company, the New Mexico Medical Detachment, the 1209th ASMC, the 111th Sustainment Brigade, the G$, and the Joint Operations Center. His assignments span vital roles from Platoon Leader, Operations Officer, and Executive Officer to Brigade Medical Operations Officer, Battalion Commander, and Regimental Deputy COmmander.

His military eduation includes Airborne School, Combatives Instructor Courses, the Support Operations Course, the Command and General Staff College, and the Advanced Operations Course.

In the civilian sector, he holds a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice from the American Military Ubiversity, a Master of Public Administration, and a graduate certificate from the University of Virginia. LTC Roberts is a 2023 graduate of the prestigious FBI Academy in Quantico, VA.

LTC Roberts is married to the former Osiris Kimberly Cruz from Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico. They have two sons, Owen and Axel.