BY CLIFF SMELLEY
On a day that’s all about expressing gratitude to those who served in the military, one of the speakers at a Veterans Day ceremony at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center posed the question of just how one goes about thanking those individuals.
Clay County Superintendent of Schools Dave Broskie was one of three speakers at the Nov. 11 ceremony, which was a result of a partnership between Camp Blanding, the Camp Blanding Museum, Clay County and Fleming Island’s Hibernia Baptist Church.
“The real question of the day is, ‘How do we honor the service members and our veterans today?’ We honor them by being worthy of their sacrifice,” Broskie said. “We honor them by valuing the freedoms they protect. In our schools, we honor them by teaching their history, instilling patriotism and ensuring our military connected families are supported and celebrated.”
As he continued, Broskie said, “We honor them by hiring veterans, supporting veteran-owned businesses and reaching out the service organizations that provide critical support to our veterans.
“Every single day, we honor them by remembering that our flag — that banner of hope and liberty — is kept flying with their vigilance.”
U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean (Florida’s Fourth District), who was the event’s first guest speaker, said, “Veterans Day is the time to commemorate the valor in sacrifices of the courageous men and women who enlisted in our armed services and fought to protect and preserve our American liberties, values and way of life. It is on this day that we salute you, our fearless patriots who have kept America safe.
“We remember the men who ran ashore at the beaches of Normandy to end World War II, those who fought in the snows of Korea and those who bravely fought in the jungles and the unbearable heat of Vietnam as well as the men and women who were called to serve in the aftermath of 9/11.
“Because of our veterans’ selfless dedication, unmatched valor and unsurpassed devotion to our nation’s values, we the people have the opportunity to experience life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is because of you — our veterans — that our hearts burst with pride, our enemies shiver in fear and America flies on the wings of freedom.”
The congressman stressed the importance of teaching the next generation “what true service is and to value the veterans’ service and military sacrifice.” Bean said he was reminded of President Rondald Reagan, who once said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”
Bean talked of how he and other members of congress can nominate candidates to the nation’s service academies, saying, “It’s a tremendous responsibility, and dozens and dozens of young people will apply to be our military’s elite. There’s only one thing to do if you’re a congressman to make that happen and to ensure that we get the best of the best, and that is to ask our veterans to run our committee to make that happen.”
Two of the members of Bean’s committee were in attendance at the Veterans Day ceremony: Matt Johnson, former Camp Blanding post commander who currently serves as mayor of Green Cove Springs, and Howard Wanamaker, who is Clay County manager. Bean thanked both for their service.
Bean said it is a “treat” to talk to young people on the phone about their acceptance into a service academy. He recalled such a call he made last year in which “some young lady started crying.”
“Then, I started crying,” Bean said. “She got her dad on the phone, and we all started crying. We were just proud.”
Bean told the crowd that Florida is second only to Texas in number of veterans and that when all 435 of the congressional districts in the U.S. are considered, Florida’s Fourth District ranks in the top five in number of veterans.
“So many veterans, in fact, that our office has two dedicated individuals who are military service agents,” Bean said. “So, for any veteran here, it would be an honor to assist you with any type of military request or VA or any benefit request. I can’t promise that we’re going to get you the answer that you want, but I can promise you that at least we’ll put it in front of the decision maker, where you shouldn’t have to wait.”
In his closing remarks, Bean said gratitude for this nation’s veterans isn’t confined to one day.
“Today is Veterans Day, but in America, every day is Veterans Day,” Bean said.
Retired Rear Admiral James Aiken, who last served as the commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command, was also a featured speaker. He chose to talk about the words in the phrase, “Thank you for your service.”
“The first word we’re going to talk about is ‘thanks.’ It’s a sense of gratitude,” Aiden said. “It’s to think well of. When we say, ‘Thank you for your service,’ it’s beyond courtesy. It’s not like when you go to the gas station, and they give you your receipt, and you say, ‘Thanks.’ No, it’s a heartfelt thanks.”
In talking about the word “you,” Aiken said, “It’s personalized gratitude. It’s not for a broad group, but it’s for an individual, an individual who raises his right hand and says, “I will defend, and I will support, the Constitution of the United States against all enemies.’”
Aiken said “you” doesn’t just refer to a service member, but also to his or her family. He said he was reminded of the words President Abraham Lincoln wrote in a letter: ‘“Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor also to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field, and serves, as he best can, the same cause.”
In talking about the word “service,” Aiken said it doesn’t refer to service to self, but service to others.
“It’s doing something that’s bigger than ourselves,” Aiken said. “It’s embracing humility. It’s embracing duty. I’m reminded of what Jesus said. He said, ‘The greatest among you will be your servant.’”
Clay County Commissioner Betsy Condon read a Veterans Day proclamation the board of commissioners adopted on Oct. 28. It reads in part: “Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Board of County Commissioners of Clay County, Florida, does hereby recognize and honor the bravery, dedication and service of all United States veterans on this day and every day. We express our deepest gratitude to these patriots for their unwavering commitment to our country and the freedoms we hold dear.”
The event also consisted of historical displays, bounce houses and slides for children and hamburgers and hot dogs sold at “World War II prices.”
