Members of the community joined the American Legion Post #122 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #7623 in a Veterans Day observance Friday morning at the 303 building downtown Smithville.
The program featured performances by the Smith Family, singing gospel and patriotic music, and members of the DCHS band. Local minister Charles Olson opened with prayer followed by the pledge of allegiance led by Doyle Smith. Anthony Rosolowski led the audience in singing the Star Spangled Banner and Susan Hinton read a poem by an unknown author called “You Can’t Tell a Vet Just By Looking”.
“He is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carrier didn’t run out of fuel.”
“He is the barroom loudmouth whose behavior is outweighed in the cosmic scales by four hours of unparalleled bravery near the 38th Parallel in Korea.”
“She is the nurse who fought against futility in Da Nang and went to sleep sobbing every night for two solid years.”
“He is the POW who left one person and came back another”
“He is the drill instructor who has never been in combat, but has saved countless lives by turning no-accounts into Marines.”
“He is the parade-riding legionnaire who pins on his ribbons and medals with a prosthetic hand.”
“He is the white-haired guy bagging groceries at the supermarket, aggravatingly slow, who helped liberate a Nazi death camp.”
“A vet is an ordinary and extraordinary human being, someone who offered his life’s vital years in the service of his country.”
“He is a soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness, and nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known. We will never be able to repay the debt of gratitude we owe.”
Ronnie Goodwin, the featured speaker, called for unity in America again and encouraged each of us to personally thank veterans for their sacrifices. “What is it that burns so bright in people like you that you would give everything you have, that you would risk your very lives not for just this country but to go around the world countless times to fight for freedom for other people who would love to have what we have and all too often that we take for granted?”
“What can we do or say this morning that could come close to saying thank you? I don’t know.”
“One thing I think we can do is to start living what we say we believe as Americans. This country has been divided in recent years probably more so than at any time since the Civil War. We hear of red states and blue states. Liberal and conservative. Rich and poor. My dad (who is a World War II veteran and ex-POW) was in my office one day. When he went out I heard him talking to a man in the lobby. It was a political discussion. Dad said my young friends and I went to Europe and fought and my buddies died. They didn’t die for red states or blue states. They died for the UNITED STATES.”
“We need to come together and show the world again what we’re about. A simple thank you wouldn’t hurt either. Besides a close family member, how many of us know a veteran and take the time to walk up and say thank you with a firm handshake. Not for saving the world. Goodness knows they’ve done that. Not for preserving the liberties we love. That’s a given. But look them in the eye and say thank you for ME. FOR ME. That I can get up and breathe the air of freedom and live in the greatest country that the good Lord as ever let stand. Its that simple,” said Goodwin.
Following the program, a wreath was placed at the veterans memorial monument on the south side of the courthouse near the eternal flame. The wreath was laid by veterans Edward Frazier, Ronnie Redmon, Jimmy Sprague, and Tom Skelenka along with Captain Scott Emmons of the Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division. Captain Emmons conducted his first tour of duty in Iraq from July 2009 to August 2010 and his preparing to return there.
(TOP PHOTO: Left to right- Ronnie Redmon, Jimmy Sprague, Captain Scott Emmons, Edward Frazier, and Tom Skelenka)
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