Representative Tom Cole Honors Father's Military Service on Veterans Day, Emphasizing Legacy and Sacrifice
Representative Tom Cole (OK-04) issued a statement on Veterans Day, November 11, 2026, reflecting on the courage, commitment, and sacrifices of U.S. Armed Forces members. He specifically honored his late father, John Cole, who served twenty years in the United States Air Force, including during World War II, and an additional twenty years as a civilian federal employee at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. Representative Cole highlighted his father's exceptional ability to lead aircraft maintenance crews, noting his repeated recognition at McGuire Air Force Base and his success in improving a challenging maintenance dock at Dover Air Force Base. The statement underscored that his father's life, despite battling Alzheimer's disease in his final years, instilled values of duty, sacrifice, and hard work that continue to guide Representative Cole. He emphasized that military service involves a lifetime of commitment and family sacrifice, and that the nation is indebted to its veterans.