We got him: a man whose evil changed the world and defined a young generation. He was a figurehead of evil, and he was the serpent in the garden. On that day in September, our vision of evil was changed from the likes of Captain Hook to the realities of true unforgiving atrocities. Our young generation experienced more real death and more real fear than any young person should ever have to endure. Almost ten years after his most infamous attack on innocent lives, the people who he affected most, the generation of children who lost their loved ones and lost their innocence, can celebrate for the first time in their lives.
It not the end of the war, but it is a momentous step. It's the death of Darth Vader. It's the surrender at Appomattox. It's the end of the movie. It's the accomplished goal.
There is still work to do. There will still be scraps to clean up. But when your grandchildren read the history books, this will be the day they remember. This is the day you'll remember. This is the last chapter of the story, and now we are just writing epilogue.
Thank you to the men and women serving this country, many of whom are our friends and our peers, who dedicated and gave their lives for this day.
