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Tuesday October 31, 2017 Edition
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Honoring America’s Veterans And Their Service

Larney and Sue McGrath.
photo by provided
Larney and Sue McGrath.
Jim McGuire.
photo by provided
Jim McGuire.

Tuesday October 31, 2017

By Cookie Steponaitis

In 1864 America was at war with itself. The death total on the fields was staggering and the country was ripped apart politically, socially and saw little chance of being a nation again. Standing before the US Congress, Abraham Lincoln spoke from his heart about honoring the soldiers of both sides and the families carrying on in their absence. He remarked, “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.” For Lincoln, the Civil War was not only a test of whether the divided union could endure, but a horrific toll of loss on both sides of the lines. While Armistice Day was not created until 1919 and it was not officially changed to Veteran’s Day until 1968, Lincoln saw the need to understand the role of the soldier and the role of the families who serve and carry on in their absence.
    Today 22 million veterans are living on American soil and represent a remarkably tiny percentage of 7.3 percent of all living Americans who have served in the military at some point in their lives. Since the number of service varies greatly by gender and only 2 million veterans and about 200,000 current service personnel are women, it breaks down to 1.4 percent of all American women have ever served and 13.4 percent of all male Americans. As of January 31, 2017 numbers from the Defense Department show currently 0.4 percent of the American population is active military.
    As Veterans Day approaches, veterans all over the Champlain Valley and nation take time to pay tribute to those who served and those who serve now. Addison County veteran Larney McGrath served for 38 years in the Armed Services with 30 years in the Air Force and 8 years as a US Army Reservist MSGT. “ I had many jobs from the youngest Mess Sargent in the Air Force to the Chief of Communications at the 158th FW at Burlington IAP VT2. For me, Veterans Day is a day we stop and honor all those who served. Most of all realize that not all who served are in graves and are walking around with us. I really don’t think people realize how close all servicemen and women are and we would go the extra mile for any of them.” McGrath has another reason to stop and honor on Veterans Day, as he and his wife Susan were married on November 11, 2011 or 11/11/11, which was also the hour, date and year that the First World War ended and it was all quiet on the western front.
    Addison County Veteran Jim McGuire enlisted on February 5, 1959 and served until November 27, 1964. While McGuire will openly share that the military taught him how to shoot, march, drive a dump truck and how to build and blow up bridges, McGuire has a great respect for his fellow veterans and feels the country does not truly understand what is asked of them. “ Unless they have been in their shoes,” explained McGuire, “ I truly don’t think people can really understand. The military teaches you to follow orders even if those orders mean to give the ultimate sacrifice. That’s not something you can understand unless you have lived it.”
    While both men observe Veterans Day in their own way, each felt Americans can do more. It doesn’t have to be grand or cost money, but taking the time to thank or even think about what veterans have done for the nation is a starting point. Ideas include attend a Veteran’s Day event, visit a veteran and ask them to share a story about their time of service and really listen, take a dinner to a veteran, write and send a letter to someone who is currently serving in the military, take a private moment to be proud of your veterans, look up your ancestry and learn about someone in your family who was or is a veteran. Observe a moment of silence and send a prayer of thanks to those in uniform today who guard this nation in times of peace and in times of strife. Or help out a family who has a loved one in service and is headed into the holidays without their whole family together. Veteran’s Day is not about politics, political parties or even about power. It is about those individuals in who stand ready at all times of the day and night to run toward danger and step America and an enemy.


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