Joomla Login LightBox powered by WowJoomla.com

Little American flags lined sidewalks leading up to Smithville High School’s front doors. Inside, local military veterans — many of them proudly displaying their service pins, hats and uniforms — were the guests of honor.

It was the one day of the year just for them: Veterans Day, which fell on Nov. 11.

The high school’s student council held its annual breakfast for veterans, followed by an all-school assembly recognizing veterans. U.S. Navy Capt. Scott Ready was the guest speaker.

While veterans at the breakfast had their own service and the military on their minds, each one’s thoughts different from the next.

Bob Trotter, wearing his blue Navy hat, appreciated the recognition veterans receive these days.

“After Vietnam, there wasn’t a welcome back,” Trotter, who served from 1964 to 1968, said.

He likes that the annual event at the high school gives young people an opportunity to understand what the military is all about, he said.

He wants them to grasp the saying, “Thank veterans, for what they do allows us to do what we do.”

Jay Fude, a high school computers teacher who served in the U.S. Air Force from 1993 to 1997, reflected on the military’s history on the holiday.

“There’s always been a need for people in uniform. Even in the most peaceful of peace times, there’s always something going on. It’s a constant vigilance,” Fude said.

During his service, he realized the impact the U.S. military has had over time.

“When we were in France, people would thank us for events that happened 50 years ago,” he said. “What we did then still affects the world today.”

The history makes him proud.

“You feel like you did a little something good in the world,” he said.

Present wars also weighed heavy on veterans’ minds.

“Today, I think about what I did when I served. And about what our young people serving are doing right now,” said Jim Clarkson, who served in the U.S. Army from 1956 to 1958.

Smithville Editor Nancy Hull Rigdon can be reached at 532-4444 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed