On Veterans Day, we take time to honor men and women who have served in one of the branches of our nation’s military. They have dedicated their time and given a promise to defend the Constitution and us with their very lives, if necessary.
Unlike other holidays, Veterans Day isn’t associated with big dinners, presents or candy. There are communities that celebrate with parades and other events, but most of the time, there isn’t a three-day weekend and Veterans Day doesn’t involve traveling to another town for a family gathering. Although the banks are closed and there is no mail delivery, for most of us it’s a regular day as far as work or school are concerned.
Instead, there are memorial services where we reflect on what our veterans mean to us. In that way, it’s a lot like Thanksgiving, only in this case we are giving thanks for the gift our fellow Americans have given to us. We give thanks for the blessing of the freedoms listed in our Bill of Rights; we give thanks for those who defend our freedom and safety.
Last year, we especially gave thanks to Vietnam War veterans and cut the ribbon on a new memorial at Great Bend’s Veterans Memorial Park. This year, as they do every year, Great Bend High School students and staff will host an all-school assembly that is open to all veterans and community members. Other area high schools also have programs. There will also be a memorial service at 1 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial in the Golden Belt Memorial Park, 59 NW 50 Road, Great Bend. There is also a parade in Larned at 11 a.m..
The Great Bend Kiwanis Club’s flag project wraps up for 2025 on Nov. 11, as they will put up flags on Broadway Ave. and McKinley St. next to Veterans Memorial Park. Sponsors allow the Kiwanians to place the flags five times a year during patriotic holidays.
The best way to honor veterans is to take care of those who served and their families while they are still alive. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, on Sunday asked for unanimous consent on the Senate floor to pass legislation he introduced with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) – ranking member of the committee – to make certain the rate of disability compensation and other financial benefits from the Department on Veterans’ Affairs (VA) for veterans and military survivors can keep pace with the rate of inflation. The legislation passed unanimously and now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives. Here’s hoping the House of Representatives votes on this and other matters soon.
Our veterans have served us, and now we have an opportunity to serve them.
At the end of October, Sen. Moran met Kansas Honor Flight 105 as veterans visited the memorials in Washington, D.C., that were built to honor their service to our country. Moran visited with a group of veterans from Arkansas City while they were at the Vietnam War Memorial. “It was humbling to hear about their experiences during the war and the overwhelming gratitude they felt from everyone who welcomed them to Washington, D.C.,” Moran said. “As the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and the son of a World War II veteran, there is no group of Americans I hold in higher regard than our nation’s heroes, and I value every opportunity to thank them for their service.”
A heartfelt thanks to all veterans.
— Susan Thacker
