BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Veterans exemplified sacrifice and service in helping their country. Now, it’s the country’s turn to help them.
Retired Maj. John Crews spoke about how some American veterans struggle after their time of service during the Jones-Langford-White American Legion Post 56 Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11 at Starke’s Charles J. Schaefer Veterans Memorial Park.
Crews, who is Post 56 adjutant as well as JROTC instructor for Bradford High School, said freedom and liberty have a cost that is often in the form of blood and tears.
“All of us who have had to go to faraway lands to defend our collective ideals, to defend our way of life, know the toll it takes and the destruction it can cause, both to the enemy and to those of us who return,” Crews said.
Crews said the Stop Soldier Suicide website reports that veterans are at a 72-percent higher risk for suicide and that suicide is the second-leading cause of death for veterans under the age of 25. He added that an America’s Warrior Partnership/Duke University study indicates that the number of suicides by veterans is underreported.
“As veterans, we have to stay together to help our fellow veterans, especially those of the younger generation of war fighters,” Crews said. “The military and the VA are failing to help solve these issues.”
That’s where organizations such as American Legion, Veterans of Foreign War, Disabled American Veterans and AMVETS come in, Crews said, explaining that they’re safe places for veterans to talk to other veterans — people who share the “sacred brotherhood of commitment and service.”
However, Crews said the sad news is that many of these organizations are dying because of lack of membership and society’s lack of concern in supporting them.
“These groups are in existence to help veterans talk through their troubles and cultivate emotional support for one another,” Crews said, adding, “It is my belief that if we can reach out to our fellow veterans — especially the Global War on Terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans — and help them through their wartime traumas, perhaps, just perhaps, we can stem the flow of veterans’ suicide and reduce the amount of societal anxiety almost all of us experience when we come home and our time in service has ended. In some cases, these organizations and the services they provide to others may be the only thing keeping folks alive.
“With that being said, please help out. Join, participate, donate your time and continue to fight for what is right for all of us.”
Crews, after being introduced by Post 56 Commander Norman Dowdy, began his talk by clearing up the confusion that “many of us, including veterans” have distinguishing between Veterans Day and Memorial Day.
“Memorial Day honors dead service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice, while Veterans Day celebrates those who survived and continue to serve our country, honoring those who defend us against our enemies, both foreign and domestic, defending us against threats to our republic and our way of life,” Crews said.
The ceremony also consisted of Boy Scouts Troop 70 Scoutmaster David Lee recognizing Hunter Ruble for attaining the rank of Eagle — the highest rank in Scouting. Lee said being able to put the fact you’ve attained the Eagle rank on a job application lets a potential employer know that you are one who can set a goal and then strive to attain it.
Ruble is the fifth Scout under Lee who’s attained the rank.
“Let me tell you about Eagle,” Lee said. “It’s hard. It’s not a gimme. He worked hard for it like the other four.”
Ruble assisted Bradford High School JROTC cadets in a ceremony in which several U.S. and state flags — including the U.S. flag at Charles Schaefer Veterans Memorial Park — were retired.
“The flag, when it is in such a condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way — preferably by burning,” JROTC Cadet Noah Stoerh said. “As you can tell, our current flag flying today has seen its fair share and has done its duty for our country, county and citizens. Today, we will retire it — and several others — with the dignity and respect it deserves as a symbol of our great country.”
As cadets cut flags into pieces for incineration, Stoerh said, “The U.S. flag is more than just some brightly colored cloth. It is a symbol of our nation. Seven red stripes and six white stripes — together, they represent the original 13 colonies that gained us liberty.
“The red stripes remind us of the lifeblood of brave men and women who were ready to die for their country.
“The white stripes remind us of purity and cleanliness of purpose, thought, word and deed.
“The blue is for truth and justice, like the eternal blue of the star-filled heavens.
“The stars represent the 50 sovereign states of our union.
“The U.S. flag should be treated with respect when it’s flying and should be treated with respect when it’s being retired. The American Creed states: It is my duty to my country to love it, to respect its constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag and to defend it against all enemies.
“Therefore, we retire flags with dignity and respect when they become worn, torn, faded or badly soiled.
“A flag ceases to be a flag when it is cut into pieces.”
Stoerh noted that the blue, star-filled section is left intact “because no one should ever let the union be broken.”
