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FITTING SALUTE
Alexander, with the help of Jay Abercrombie and Darline McKay, put together a program honoring veterans on Saturday, Armed Forces Day. The event kicked off with a salute to the flag and presentation of colors by Boy Scout Troop No. 366 and a firing of a canon by the Douglas' Texas Battery. Brooks Atwood sang the National Anthem, and then the honors began. A group of boy scouts stepped up to the microphone - one by one - to recite quotes from leaders such as Dwight Eisenhower and Lyndon Johnson. The event featured guest speakers who read letters from the Civil War all the way to the Iraqi War. The most poignant speech came, however, not through a letter but through a speaker of his own experiences in Vietnam. The speaker's name was not listed on the program - he said he wished to remain anonymous. "We were young kids, and times were different," he said. "We said yes sir and yes ma'am and we meant it.
These, he said, were the kids who put on uniforms to serve in Vietnam. "We knew nothing about politics, and we didn't care," he said. "We went to do our jobs - what we were asked to do by our country. "But there was a downside. I left my wide-eyed innocence there," he said. "I gave it to people who didn't want it, and came home to a country who didn't want us either." He went on to say how much the American flag meant to him. "What makes it so beautiful is the soldiers who have fought and continue to fight for it, and we need to give them what those of us in Vietnam didn't get - and what we needed and what we still need - a pat on the shoulder, a welcome home." Wayne Jones, commander of the Douglas' Texas Battery, read a letter from the Civil War. Donnie Barron read a letter from an Iraqi soldier and Sharon Roy read a letter left at the Vietnam Memorial - from a mother to her deceased son. State Rep. Chuck Hopson was on hand and spoke to the almost 200 people in attendance. "Today, too, Armed Forces Day won't be a matter of parades and receptions for a good many of those serving, because again, many of our sons and daughters are in harm's way," he said. He then quoted Gen. Omar Bradley. "The heritage of freedom must be guarded as carefully in peace as it was in war. Faith, not suspicion, must be the key to our relationships. Sacrifice, not selfishness, must be the eternal price of liberty. Vigilance, not appeasement, is the byword of living freedoms." Hopson ended with a challenge to everyone. "Let us always remember how much we owe to the valiant men and women of the Armed Forces, those who have served and those who are serving now," he said. "Let us always remember them and what they stand for and what they do. "When you see a veteran, look him or her in the eye and say thank you." U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert relayed a story about the recent death of an American soldier who sacrificed his own life to save four of his fellow soldiers. Gohmert attended the funeral, he said, because two of the men he saved were from the East Texas area. As everyone finished speaking, the band Nearly There led the audience in "God Bless America," as local pilot Darren Davis - with the help of his father, Bill Davis Jr., Randy Long, J.D. Daniels and Michelle Bright - flew T-34s, ex military trainers across the skies in Bullard. The ceremony concluded with Lauren Miller - who recited the Gettysburg Address. Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in May. The day was created in 1949 as a result of the consolidation of the military services in the Department of Defense. The day is celebrated annually on the third Saturday of May, and Armed Forces Week begins on the second Saturday of May and ends on the third Sunday of May. The purpose of Armed Forces day is to honor Americans serving in the five services - the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. |
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