As you read these words, the last US troops are finally coming home from Iraq. The US war in Iraq is coming to an end.

Nearly a decade ago, we came together to stand up against an unnecessary war, built on lies and fear. Win Without War was formed to help bring together Americans who understood that this war would endanger our national security while threatening countless American and Iraqi lives while wasting our nation’s limited resources.

Today we come together again to mark the culmination of our struggle for peace, honor those who served and recommit to fully turning the page on a long decade of war.

The end of the Iraq War would not have been possible without the principled advocacy of millions of Americans. What began in 2002 as an effort to avert George W. Bush’s march to war in Iraq grew to a chorus of millions who changed the political landscape and kept fighting until all of our troops came home.

It was the tireless work of advocates like you that made this day possible.

Even while we welcome our troops home, we must remember the painful costs of war. Unfortunately, the end of the Iraq war comes far too late for the nearly 4,500 American soldiers who lost their lives, the tens of thousands wounded in combat, and the untold number of Iraqi civilians killed or injured in the war. Unconscionably, those who led us into this war, also refused to pay a single dime of its costs, placing the entire war on our nation’s credit card, wasting trillions of taxpayer dollars.

Above all, we honor the brave men and women who served in Iraq. For the more than 1 million Americans who served in this war, we owe both a debt of gratitude and a commitment to honor their service by fighting against current efforts to balance the budget on the backs of our veterans.

As the final US troops leave Iraq, we recognize there are many challenges that remain for both Americans and Iraqis. We hope that you will continue to lend your voice to the struggle for peace and recommit to the work that remains ahead.

Thank you for all your work to end this war. It would not have been possible without you.