Honoring Veterans in Wapello County, Iowa

From an early morning breakfast the local Hy-Vee grocery stores provide to veterans to a ceremony at Indian Hills Community College and others at the American Legion and Cardinal Community Schools, Wapello County citizens turned out to thank local veterans.

Indian Hills invited the community to join students and faculty, many of them veterans, around the flagpole for a salute to veterans followed by breakfast in the cafeteria. Student Maurice Carter served in current conflicts and just received orders for another deployment. He commended the college for its efforts to help returning service members adapt to college life. Bob Morrissey, a Korean War vet, gave the keynote address, reminding attendees that today's service members fight a very different enemy than those of past wars. Rather than being identifiable as part of a nation's army, today's opponents attack differently and may hide among the populace.

At Ottumwa's American Legion Post 3, there were a couple World War II vets, but those of Korea and Vietnam predominated, with a few from Iraq or Afghanistan. Dennis Whitsen, commander of VFW Post 773, lamented the decreasing membership in the clubs, noting it is getting harder to put together the Honor Guards to lay veterans to rest. He was serious in noting there are enough veterans in the U.S. to form their own political party.

Featured speaker Russ Sporer sounded a more reflective tone. He cited the different composition of the cohort of today's veterans. There are one million living veterans and 8 percent of them are women. Quoting from Lincoln's Gettsyburg Address, he reminded attendees that:

"It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Ironically, it was the veterans themselves who served lunch to the group at the American Legion, a meal that alternates between the Legion and local VFW post each year.

The day's most rousing event was the Cardinal Community School's celebration at the high school in Eldon, Iowa. Hundreds of students, invited veterans, and community attendees listened to a medley of each service's fighting song. As the band played each song, veterans from that service stepped forward to be honored.

Speaker Air Force Sgt. Gavin Gardner also serves as a substitute teacher in the school system, and told the audience that when other teachers ask if he is nervous about taking over a certain class, he reminds them that his military service was tougher. He did admit that addressing the enthusiastic crowd was nerve-inducing. Gardner quoted former President Calvin Coolidge, who said that, "The nation who forgets its defenders will soon be forgotten."

The phrase "thank you for your service" was repeated from each podium and as audience members spoke to veterans individually. In reality, every day is Veterans Day. Without their sacrifices, our nation might not exist, and citizens certainly would not enjoy the expansive freedoms we take for granted.