News

Heather: This is my thank you to the local veterans

By Heather Milbrath

08/20/2013

Growing up I knew the importance of respecting our local veterans. My grandpa is a WWII vet, and I learned at a young age how important it was to be thankful for all veterans’ service in the military.

I took part in many Patriotic Programs as a young student and participated in the Voice of Democracy essay contest, writing about what I thought Patriotism was. I attended many Legion baseball games, partook in many Memorial Day parades, and even attended a few Auxiliary luncheons. However, it was not until this summer that I realized how much service veterans still do within our community.

This past summer I got a pretty unique experience to learn about the various veteran organizations in the county. Prior to this series, I did not know the difference between the VFW or the Legion, and hadn’t even heard of AMVETS. I also had no clue what kind of activities they did. All of the programs I mention above, and many more, are all organized by the local veteran’s organizations in the county: the VFW, the American Legion, the AMVETS, and the VFW and Legion Auxiliaries. I now see how far-reaching their service is in the county

I was also able to talk with veterans from all over the county about their organizations, as well as their military experience. I sat in on morning coffee in the current veteran’s hall many times where I was introduced to a few of our local veterans. While there I heard many stories about veterans’ experiences in the war, and I also just heard many stories. I started really noticing how many veterans there actually are in our community, and I was surprised by how many veterans I knew, but hadn’t known they were veterans.

I was at the mall in Fargo a few weeks ago, when I witnessed a gentlemen go up to an older man wearing a WWII Vet hat. The younger man asked the vet when and where he served and then gave the veteran a genuine thank you for his service.

Seeing this encounter made my day, and undoubtedly made the day for that veteran as well. With over 600 veterans in the county, I’m sure you could find a veteran to thank.

So, this is my thank you to our local veterans. This is not your typical thank you to the veterans for their service, although that is something that we should always do. This is my thank you for all your help this summer with my series on the veteran’s organizations, and letting me hear your stories and sit in for coffee. And of course, thank you for all your service not only in the military, but also in the community.