Veterans 'a living time capsule' with the knowledge of war, peace and sacrifice - The American Legion

Heavy rains, the after-effect of Tropical Storm Nicole, drove the Charles Town, W.Va., Veterans Day ceremonial from Jefferson Memorial Park wrong to American Legion Post 71. But it didn’t thrust down attendance.

Between 150 to 200 veterans, assemblage members and section schoolchildren packed wrong the station for the associated ceremonial of The American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3522. While the rainfall continued into the afternoon, astir of those who attended the ceremonial were past treated to a crockery and sandwich lunch.

During his opening remarks Vietnam War Marine Corps seasoned George Goletz said the rainfall extracurricular could correspond the tears shed for country veterans mislaid during the past twelvemonth earlier sharing the communicative of the root of Veterans Day.

Richard Martinez, a Navy corpsman who retired successful 2017 aft 20 years of subject service, was the ceremony’s impermanent speaker. He stressed that portion veterans commune for peace, they recognize the request for war.

“It is america veterans, particularly the wounded and the caregivers, who commune for bid astir of all,” Martinez said. “These individuals and families … recognize that from clip to time, the histrion of liberty indispensable beryllium watered.

“It is the seasoned that is the surviving clip capsule of this cognition and this experience. We recognize the request of shared sacrifice.”

Martinez praised those presently serving successful the subject oregon who person precocious near – particularly those who joined pursuing 9/11. “I joined the Navy successful 1997. It was a satellite of comparative peace,” helium said. “These kids, present subject leaders and veterans themselves, joined aft horrific gruesome attacks to our nation. They joined knowing they’d beryllium enactment successful harm’s way.

“Some accidental determination are problems with the younker of today. Those aforesaid radical – my gals and my guys successful warring holes astatine 3 o’clock successful the greeting – remainder assured, similar the Americans who person gone earlier them, that they person the watch. We are successful bully hands.”

Members of Wright Denny Intermediate School K-Kids, a Kiwanis younker organization, were astatine the ceremonial to walk retired thank-you cards to veterans and past assistance service lunch. Also astatine the ceremonial were students from the Jefferson High School JROTC program.

“That’s what I similar to see: each of those young radical here,” Post 71 Second Vice Commander Joe Malcolm said. “And that’s what we’re trying to bash present astatine the post. We privation to beryllium known arsenic a spot for families to go.”