"What Is A Veteran?"
He's a man who looks the world in the eye, and who feels an extra heartbeat when the FLAG goes by.
He's a man who steps a little faster when he hears a military band.
He comes from all assorted races, sizes, and shapes.
He's big, small, short, and tall.
He's the "Doughboy" of World War I, the "G.I." of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.
He is a Sailor, Soldier, Flyer, and Marine.
He is Artillery, Infantry, Medic, Chemical Engineer, Armored, Ordnance, and Corpsman.
He is Republican, Democrat, and Independent.
He is a plumber, doctor, salesman, mechanic, farmer, and banker.
He is Catholic, Protestant, and Jew.
He is rich and poor and in between.
He is a man who loves peace because he knows the cost of war.
He is a good citizen and a man who knows the price of freedom.
He knows the eternal vigilance and preparedness are necessary if freedom is to be preserved.
He likes the majesty of American mountains, the tranquility of America's valleys and the bustle of America's cities.
He is proud of his American heritage, alert to his American present and confident of his American future.
He likes the legends of American's great -- the Washingtons, the Jeffersons, the Lincolns, the Roosevelts, the Trumans, the Robert E. Lees, the Stonewall Jacksons, the Pattons, the Eisenhowers, the MacArthurs and all the proud patriots who have marched through America's history books.
He has bivouacked at Valley Forge, charged the hills at Gettysburg, faced the fire at San Juan Hill, stormed the sands of Guadalcanal, sloughed through the Marne, swarmed ashore at Omaha Beach, waded the cold mud of Korea, and the steamy jungles of Vietnam.
In the very rear of his secret heart there is always a tinge of sorrow, a souvenir of sadness for lost and departed comrades.
He is a first class fighting man, a citizen soldier and a peace time leader.
He's America's most honored citizen and a member of history's most exclusive fraternity.
Aiding him in his duties as a fighting man are the Waves, the Wacs, the Lady Marines and those Angels of Mercy, the Nurses. God Bless them. They too are VETERANS.
[Reprinted from a 1970's handout, property of Alvin Kaderlik, provided originally by the 2nd District, V.F.W., Sam Slavik, Leg. Chr., New Prague MN]
"What Is A Veteran?"
They are men and women who look the world in the eye, and feel an extra heartbeat when the FLAG goes by.
They are men and women who step a little faster when they hear a military band.
They come from all assorted races, sizes, and shapes.
They are men and women who are big, small, short, and tall.
He's the "Doughboy" of World War I, the "G.I." of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. They are the men and women of Aghanistan, and Iraq.
They are a Sailor, a Soldier, a Flyer, and a Marine.
They are Artillery, Infantry, Medic, Chemical Engineers, Armored, Ordnance, and Corpsman.
They are Republican, Democrat, and Independent.
They are plumbers, doctors, salespersons, mechanics, farmers, and bankers.
They are Catholic, Protestant, and Jew.
They are men and women who are rich and poor and in between.
They love peace because they know the cost of war.
They are men and women who are good citizens and who know the price of freedom.
They know that eternal vigilance and preparedness are necessary if freedom is to be preserved.
They are men and women who like the majesty of American mountains, the tranquility of America's valleys and the bustle of America's cities.
They are proud of their American heritage, alert to their American present and confident of their American future.
They like the legends of American's great -- the Washingtons, the Jeffersons, the Lincolns, the Roosevelts, the Trumans, the Robert E. Lees, the Stonewall Jacksons, the Pattons, the Eisenhowers, the MacArthurs and all the proud patriots who have marched through America's history books.
They are men who have bivouacked at Valley Forge, charged the hills at Gettysburg, faced the fire at San Juan Hill, stormed the sands of Guadalcanal, sloughed through the Marne, swarmed ashore at Omaha Beach, waded the cold mud of Korea, and the steamy jungles of Vietnam. They are men and women who have fought in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan.
In the very rear of their secret heart there is always a tinge of sorrow, a souvenir of sadness for lost and departed comrades.
They are men and women who are first class soldiers, excellent citizens and peace time leaders.
They are America's most honored citizens and members of history's most exclusive fraternity.
God Bless all VETERANS.
[Updated for Memorial day, May 26, 2008 by jrs ]
Honor Guard Banquet Partial Group Picture April 24, 2008
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