Henry County honors veterans

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

Taking a look at the honor guard and participants during Veterans Day activities, more gray and white hair than brown and black is seen. However, Dean King, Commander of American Legion Post 58 and head of the county honor guard, isn?t overly concerned.

?The World War II veterans said the same thing,? King recalled. ??What is going to happen when we are gone???

But King says there is a whole new generation of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan returning home and he is hopeful they will carry on the tradition. ?Now, they are concentrating on their families and don?t think of service. But later in life, they will think back and continue the tradition (of honor guards). It won?t go away, it will continue,? he said.

King was one of several speakers during Henry County?s annual Veterans Day ceremony at Veterans Hall, in Mt. Pleasant, on Wednesday.

King added that in recent years, he?s seen a shift in the country?s patriotism and appreciation for veterans.

King said the climate has changed ?substantially? in how the country treats its veterans, especially Vietnam veterans.

Serving in the U.S. Air Force from 1967-71, which included a tour of duty in Vietnam, King has vivid memories of returning from the service.

?Back then, when you got out of the military, there was a huge swarm of anti-Vietnam and anti-war sentiment, so you just kind of melted into society as quickly as possible and didn?t readily acknowledge your service,? King said.

The nation?s sentiment began turning about 25 years ago, King said, with the country?s involvement in Desert Storm (in 1990) and the change has been even more noticeable in the past five or six years. ?Now, people can say they are against the war but support the troops. I think the Vietnam veterans taught the nation not to take it out on the troops. We were doing what we were told to do.?

Eric Stein, of Mt. Pleasant, who served in active duty for the Army from 2003-11 and has been a member of the U.S. Navy Reserves since 2012, echoed King?s sentiments.

?To me, Veterans Day is thanking our veterans,? Stein, who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, said. ?I have noticed the support growing for our veterans because I think people respect the hard work veterans do to keep our people free. The veterans have great support from their families, our country?s citizens and the military.?

Addressing the large crowd gathered at the observance, John March, of Mt. Pleasant, commander of Mt. Pleasant?s AMVETS post, said he is ?looking forward to the day we no longer need veterans (of wars).?

March said he views Veterans Day as a showing of appreciation to those who took time out of their lives to serve their country. Serving in the Army, which included a year in Vietnam, March said he never experienced the ill will others did when returning from the war.

?I guess I was lucky because I didn?t have any animosity shown toward me,? he reflected. ?But I do remember, that for many years, if anyone mentioned Vietnam (service), it was an after-thought. Now people are starting to recognize us for our service.?

Stan Hill, of Mt. Pleasant, served a combined 38 years, three months and 15 days in the Army Airbourne and Army Reserve. He said that his definition of Veterans Day is ?taking time out of our busy schedule to honor veterans who served previously and today to protect our freedoms.?

Over the years, Veterans Day observances have been scaled down, Hill said, saying he remembers annual dinners on Veterans Day. ?I think Veterans Day has changed significantly,? he began. ?Today, people are too busy to continue in their duty to take care of veterans. There seems to be something lacking.?

Hill said even though there are not any World War I veterans left in the county and the ranks of World War II vets is diminishing rapidly, he hopes those who served in the two world wars are never forgotten ?because they saved our country.?

It?s blood, sweat and tears, Jess Amos, of Salem, vice commander of the Mt. Pleasant Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post, told those gathered. ?I would like to thank the veterans and their families for the sacrifices, blood, sweat and tears they gave for our country.?