I know we are beyond the date for this year’s Veterans Day, but a bunch of us recently had a conversation about it and it really made me think. I was proud of the towns in this area on November 11. Each of them had a Veterans Day celebration and what was really cool is the towns got together and coordinated times so there were no conflicts. Folks could go to multiple ceremonies if they chose to. The local paper covered them all and it just made me proud to see it.
I didn’t serve in the military. I thought I was going to and was ready to, but the war in Vietnam was winding down by the time I was a senior in high school and they eliminated the draft and draft registration before I turned 18. While it was nowhere near the same, my little school had an ROTC unit with a regular Army Colonel and a Master Sergeant. The Colonel served in WWII and Korea while the Master Sargent served in Korea and Vietnam. Their accounts of those wars were amazing. They really reinforced to us the importance of respecting the efforts of all veterans. Even though the Vietnam War wasn’t popular with many, they helped us understand their role.
While in grade school I remember listening to the reports of the war every morning on the local AM radio station. They would report on efforts and responses. It certainly left a mark on me for a long time. I stopped in a local soda shop on the way home one day from school and sitting at the counter was a local young man who had just returned home from Vietnam and was dressed in full camouflage. I was surprised to see that a number of folks where definitely uncomfortable with his presence and I didn’t understand it at all. I remembered reading the accounts of WWII veterans returning home to pats on the back, hugs and the offers of coffee or lunch. I didn’t know this vet, but I found myself walking over to him and extending my hand. He really didn’t know how to react when a 10-year-old kid put out his hand. He looked me over and put his hand out and I shook it and thanked him for his service. He smiled and went back to eating his lunch. I also saw a few smiles in the crowd as I headed out the door for home.
Because I am getting closer to a senior than a junior in age, I find myself reading the obituaries pretty regularly. I guess the saying is if you get up and don’t see your name there, it is going to be a good day. I find myself in awe of the history of those that served in the various wars and where they were stationed and the battles they were involved in. Many were the battles we were taught about in history class or saw at the movies. I don’t know that I can ever properly relate, but I try to better understand each time I read one.
We are coming upon a very special time of the year called the holiday season. It is certainly a time for families and thoughts of others and a general feeling of good. I truly believe without the efforts of the men and women who fought for us over the years, this season would be totally different. So, next time you have an opportunity to see someone who served, no matter when it was, thank them and reach out your hand. See if you don’t get a smile along with their hand. That can certainly help make every day Veterans Day.
And that’s the situation as I survey it …
After a 35-year career downstate amongst da trolls, during which he built a successful engineering and surveying business, John Matonich is back home in da U.P. His column will appear here occasionally, don’tcha know. His book “Surveyin’ Da Situation” is available on Amazon.com.
Image credit: Miroslav Vajdic
This made me a little teary-eyed! I thank a Veteran for their service every chance I get. They are the reason we have the freedoms that we have!
Yes Tina, I agree completely! Recently, I saw a Veteran of WWII at a church gathering (many wear hats of their branch of service or Veteran’s Groups). I went to him , thanked him, and shook his hand and he started to cry. He held my hand which seemed like forever. A few weeks ago in an Assisted Living Facility I came across a 93-year old Veteran. He told me he served on D-Day and talked about a few more places he had been. These and all Veterans are priceless!
That’s awesome!
That had to be a special moment, for sure…
I am glad you feel the way you do, Tina…
I have recently moved from a house in Flushing to a senior condo community in Florida. Every Tuesday morning we have coffee and donuts at the clubhouse, (about 300 of us.) Last Tuesday we had one of the most moving Veteran’s ceremonies I’ve ever witnessed. The choir led us in “God Bless America,” then as each military theme was sung, all the men/women from that branch came to the front of the room. After all were standing, the mic was passed around and each Vet gave their name, rank, and serial number, and the war they were in. The applause thundered! Then everyone sang together, “Let there be peace on earth..” I don’t believe there was a dry eye in the room, and especially just following the tensions of the recent election. Our hearts were full of gratitude and honor for our Vets and for America. Wonderful!!
Wow! Sounds like it was very emotional. I would have been bawling myself!
That sounds like a great celebration…. very cool
as the mom of a persian gulf era veteran, and the wife of a vietnam era veteran, and the daughter of an awesome man who served in WWII – i kinda have some respect for veterans and what they do. but nothing makes me tear up like a complete stranger coming up to dad, who usually wears his WWII hat and VFW jacket, and having that person thank my dad for serving. opps, gotta go – tears have a tendancy to short out the keyboard.
Thanking your family for their service!
It is always a moving experience to see vets respected for their service no matter how long ago…
This whole thing about veterans is not a theoretical abstract proposition. My dad and everybody’s dad, they all were World War Two veterans. And our grandpas all were WW1 veterans. Vietnam was a different thing. It was not a war to protect America or to save anything, just a preposterous boondoggle, but of course the veterans deserve honor. Iraq and Afghanistan wars were/are preposterous too, but in a different way. Our veterans joined up and fought because our leaders set up the economy so these people could not get any other jobs.
Honor our veterans, but choose better leaders in the future, please.
Thank you for sharing and the others who have posted earlier. May I share a story of respect and gratitude? A friend showed me a photo of a memorial built of stones with a plaque in French. The description gave the name of a small village in France. Her uncle was a 20 yr old gunner on one of those American bombers that flew missions out of Britain. The plane was shot down near this village. Apparently the villagers went out to help if they could. All lives were lost. They took the names from the info they could find and hand built this memorial in the town. The plaque has the young men’s names and the message that the people were grateful for their sacrifice and promise that it will not be forgotten, the sons of their sons will honor them and maintain this memorial. And they do to this day.
That is a great story, Sue…. thank you for sharing it…
I agree that veterans sacrificed to give us our freedoms — some gave much more than we can ever repay, but GW Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld should still be held accountable for wasting over 4000 of our finest searching for the phantom WMD in Iraq —– yes, I know the intelligence may have been faulty, but as a nation we need to be better than that —- and our commander -in-chief should always use the Davy Crockett judgement — “Be sure you are right — then go ahead ” — ISIS sprung from that mis-judgement —- don’t let the republicans tell you any differently —