Today is November 11, 2021. It is Veterans Day.
Some of you know that I served the Town of Scottsville as Mayor from 2016 to 2020, and some of you don’t. One honor that comes with the office of Mayor, is giving speeches. I was honored to be asked to give the keynote speech for the rededication ceremony of the Veterans Memorial which is located behind the Farmers’ Market pavilion. I have not changed the contents of the speech even though, much has changed since I spoke my words on November 6, 2016.
Thank you for joining us as we recognize our veterans for their unwavering service to America by re-dedicating the Scottsville Veterans Memorial. It was ten short years ago, that another Mayor stood before you and dedicated this Memorial commemorating those who served in WWI, WWII, Korea, Viet Nam, The Falkins, Desert Storm, Afghanistan and Iraq.
On Friday, November 11th Americans across our country and throughout the world, will honor our brave men and women who have defended our freedom by their duty, their honor and to those who have lost their lives. Today, we salute their sacrifices through our community’s commitment to care for our Veterans Memorial.
Ten years ago the Veterans of Foreign War , The American Legion and the Town of Scottsville installed the monument behind us. It resembles many monuments constructed in small towns and communities throughout our country that pay homage to members of the Army, Marine Corp, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard--Merchant Marines who have served our country.
You can walk through our local cemeteries and visit the graves of members of our community who fought for our country.
On a larger scale, Virginia is the final resting place of fallen soldiers of all ages, walks of life and ethnicity. Two and half hours north of us is the Arlington Cemetery. And Virginia is the home of The National D-Day memorial in Bedford which is only an hour and a half drive. Bedford lost over twenty of its young men during the D-Day offensive marking this loss as the highest to any town per capita in our country.
With today’s technology and the rapid growth of internet services such as Facebook, we see videos of soldiers returning home, surprising their spouses, children, parents and their dogs and cats. This reminds us, that mothers and fathers are being deployed. It brings uncertainty to children who deal on a daily basis of one of their parents not being there for them. Families live with the knowledge that their loved ones may not return home. When they do, it is heartwarming to see the love and pure joy of these reunions. And, when our returning soldiers do not experience the positive reinforcement, it is heartbreaking. Heartbreaking on many levels.
War and combat affects soldiers differently. I was talking with Heather Shetzer and she spoke of returning home from Operation Iraqi Freedom. Her transition back to what we think of as normal was difficult. The relentless, loud noises of rocket and mortar attacks she experienced caused any noise to affect her. Yet, she felt fortunate that she was able to get through the transition. And she comes away with how wonderful the United States is. To have been born and raised here. The freedoms you have when you come home and the simple pleasures of water and electricity. Today, she is co-owner of the Scottsville Supply Company, and she serves the town on the Public Safety committee.
And war affects all of us in ways that we may never know. As a child, rather curious...I looked through my Mother’s wallet. There was a photograph of a man in uniform who was not my father. A few years ago I asked her about it. Raymond Corey served in the Marines and died in Okinawa. This changed the course of my mother’s life.
I want to speak of a man that we see around town. Often times he is with his son, Eric. And, sometimes, he is alone sipping his coffee at Baine’s. He is a soldier who has fought and served our country through three wars. WWII, Korea and Viet Nam. I am sure he has stories that will break your heart and stories that will make you laugh. They are his stories. I consider Billy a hero. Not only because he fought in three wars, but because he lived through three wars and is positive. His smile is infectious and he is loved by our community.
There are other groups here today that we owe a debt of gratitude to.
First the Auxiliaries of both organizations. These ladies are the life blood of Veterans of Foreign War and The American Legion. We see them in our community everyday.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars was created in 1899 by veterans of the Spanish-American War. Their objectives are to speed rehabilitation and to assist with widows and orphans of needy or disabled veterans. They maintain their legislative service and the central office for their national rehabilitation program in Washington D.C. This program serves all disabled veterans of all wars.
The American Legion was charted by Congress in 1919. Today, there are over 2.4 million members in 14,000 posts worldwide. They are advocates for our veterans, their families and our communities. They provide numerous programs: The Family Support Network, Legacy Scholarship Fund, Operation Comfort Warriors, Temporary Financial Assistance and the National Emergency Fund are just a few.
I quote from their website:
"Veterans need each other, but, more importantly, our country needs our veterans. You cannot fight a war without veterans and while the utopian idea of a society without war is appealing, let us not forget that wars have liberated slaves, stopped genocide and toppled terrorists. Those who defend us from our enemies must be supported. Whether their service was in Baghdad or Beirut, we need to serve veterans as well as they serve us – even when the guns have temporarily stopped firing."
On November 11, 1919 President Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day which later was changed to Veterans Day by President Roosevelt: I quote the words of President Wilson:
To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…
Today we gather to show the respect and honor our veterans have earned and to remind everyone that there is another monument in the Town of Scottsville that was built to commemorate the victory of WWI. Next Saturday at 7:00 pm, we open the doors of Victory Hall with a showing of “Jeremiah” an award winning documentary about Jeremiah Denton who was captured in Viet Nam. He was from Virginia Beach. Please join us. (You can watch this documentary on YouTube. Search for Jeremiah Denton Documentary.)
In closing I want to thank the American Legion Post 74, The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8169 and the American Legion Post 2003 for organizing this event and staying active in serving all of us.
Thank you for the honor of speaking before you here today.
It Is Veterans' Day