BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Veterans Day is, of course, an appropriate time to thank those who answered the call to serve in this country’s armed forces, but it shouldn’t be the only day one thinks about the sacrifices those in uniform have made.
Norman Dowdy, the commander of Starke’s American Legion Post 56, spoke at the post’s Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11 at Charles Schaefer Veterans Memorial Park, saying, “Most Americans profess to truly love our veterans, especially at times of gathering like this on Veterans Day and also Memorial Day. While their feelings are very, very sincere, it is important to remember that veterans are defending us 365 days a year.”
Dowdy said in serving their country, some veterans found themselves in sub-zero temperatures, while others “roasted in deserts.” Some lost limbs in combat.
The sacrifices veterans made go beyond war.
“For many veterans, our nation was important enough to endure long separations from their families,” Dowdy said, adding that sometimes that included missing the births of their children.
The families sacrificed, too, Dowdy said, explaining that military spouses faced the prospect of making moves from one place to another, having careers interrupted and bearing a disproportionate share of the parents’ responsibility.
“Let’s look at the children for a moment,” Dowdy said. “Their children have to deal with changes in school, separation from friends and — hardest of all — the uncertainty of whether Mom or Dad will live through the next combat tour.”
Thanks are owed to all veterans, whether they were in war or not, Dowdy said, adding, “Not all veterans have seen combat, but all have at one time made the solemn promise to sacrifice their lives for this country if called upon.”
Aside from discussing the origins of Veterans Day, Dowdy shared the story of Elgin Staples. Staples, of Akron, Ohio, was a Navy signalman during World War II. He was stationed on the USS Astoria when it was attacked by Japanese forces near Savo Island in the South Pacific.
“He was severely wounded and thrown into the sea by consecutive blasts,” Dowdy said.
Staples, assisted by his M1926 inflatable, rubber life belt, treaded water for nearly four hours before being rescued by the destroyer USS Bagley. He returned to the USS Astoria, participating in futile efforts to save the ship.
“Hours later, Staples was again in the water,” Dowdy said.
Staples relied upon his inflatable belt again and was eventually picked up the following day by the USS President Jackson.
“More than 200 men died in that attack,” Dowdy said. “The Battle of Savo Island resulted in 1,023 other deaths.”
When Staples described the ordeal to his mother after returning home, she told him she took a job as an inspector at the Firestone plant in Akron. Staples showed his mother his life belt and the stamp it bore that indicated it had been made at that same Firestone plant. His mother looked at the belt’s inspector number and realized it was hers.
“Staples and his mother looked at each other, very, very stunned,” Dowdy said. “Staples later wrote, ‘Then I stood up, walked around the table and pulled her up from her chair. We held each other in a tight embrace, saying nothing. My mother was not a demonstrative woman, but the significance of this amazing coincidence overcame her usual reserve. We hugged each other for a long, long time, feeling the bond between us. My mother had put her arms halfway around the world to save me.’”
It is a heartwarming story, but so, too, is knowing that veterans such as Staples put aside their differences for a common goal, benefitting all of us as U.S. citizens.
“In this era of uncertainty and in this era of division, it is our veterans who serve as a unifying force,” Dowdy said. “They come from all walks of life. They represent the rich tapestry of our nation. Yet when they put on that uniform, they become an even greater power — the embodiment of the American spirit.
“Our debt to these heroes can never be repaid, but our gratitude and our respect must last forever.”
The Veterans Day event also included a ceremony to retire the flag at Charles Schaefer Veterans Memorial Park. The ceremony was conducted by Bradford Middle School and Bradford High School JROTC cadets as part of their service-learning project and included other flags that had been collected to be retired.
BHS Cadet Hagen Kadlec said in accordance with the U.S. Flag Code, Title 4, Section 8K, “the flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.”
The cadets, assisted by instructor John Crews, cut the park’s flag into pieces prior to being placed into a fire, with Kadlec saying, “A flag ceases to be a flag when it is cut into pieces. In addition, it is easier to completely incinerate the flag when it is cut into smaller pieces.”
Kadlec pointed out that the flag’s blue, star-filled section isn’t cut into pieces since it represents the union of this country’s 50 states.
“One should never let the union be broken,” Kadlec said.
As cadets took turns adding pieces of flags into the fire, Kadlec said, “Upon completion of today’s ceremony, the ashes will be buried in accordance with tradition and the U.S. Flag Code.”
