Remember those who have served this Veterans Day

"I think we are blessed to live in the United States. Veterans Day is a great opportunity to thank all who are serving or have served in the military. Our strong national defense allows us to enjoy the freedoms we have."

Cdr. Larry Laughlin, USN

Larry Laughlin and I share a bond. It is a bond shared by tens of thousands of others. Our bond is the U.S. Navy.

In recent years I have gotten to know Larry through his NJROTC duties at South Aiken High School.

He learned of my former Navy affiliation through things that I wrote in this newspaper and soon afterward contacted me.

Invitations to the school's observance of Veterans Day and other ceremonies soon became annual occasions, and I am always encouraged when I have the chance to see the patriotic young men and women doing their service to school and country through participation in NJROTC.

We will celebrate Veterans Day on Wednesday when those former and present members of the military services are recognized for their efforts to preserve, protect and defend the nation.

With tens of thousands of our finest men and women in harm's way in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is only appropriate that we take a day to recall sacrifices made by those in uniform.

Our national history is filled with conflicts and the people who willingly donned uniforms and took up arms to serve the country they love. From the time of the Revolutionary War all the way to the fighting today in Afghanistan, brave men and women have put their lives on the line to protect our way of life.

When I think of Veterans Day, I think back to the days of my service in the Navy. It was during Vietnam when the draft was in place.

Many of those in the Army were drafted, and a large number of those in the other services, myself included, joined those branches to keep out of the Army.

There were many dedicated lifers I served with, and there were people I considered kids, just out of high school, who were joining the world's elite Navy for reasons of their own.

Regardless of why we were there or how we got on board the U.S.S. Blakely, we all joined together to complete the missions of our ship.

Although we never fired a shot in wartime, we were ready and willing to go where we were called. We were fortunate in that we never lost a shipmate in my two years aboard. Others were not so lucky.

When I think of Veterans Day, I also think of Aiken and the men and women who have put themselves into the service of their country.

Most of them came back after their discharge, put their uniforms into closets and resumed lives as bankers, grocers, engineers, carpenters.

They raised families and built communities and worshiped in churches. Rarely do they take credit for their military accomplishments.

Then there were some who did not return home. They were the casualties of service, the ones who gave their all so that the rest of us might live lives free from oppression.

Their names are listed in stone at the Veterans Memorial Park on Richland Avenue East.

If you have not been there to read the names of those from Aiken County who gave the ultimate sacrifice, I encourage you to do just that.

Realize that each name represents a life cut short so that ours might be extended. They are individuals who gave up their families so that you might keep yours.

Wednesday is Veterans Day. Give a word of thanks to all those who have served.

Jeff Wallace is the editor of the Aiken Standard.