Voices of Our Veterans

>Today at Veteran’s Park, the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I on the 11th day of the 11th month was commemorated with much fanfare. Originally Armistice Day, Mayor Susan Hoffmann explained that in 1938 Congress renamed it Veteran’s Day. She, along with council members Marcuccio, Britton, and Gajewski, paid tribute to all the men and women of the armed forces. The wreath laying ceremony culminated in a twenty-one gun salute by the American Legion Post 86 Honor Guard.

Robert V. Autry, a U.S. Navy veteran who served during World War II from 1942-1946 was the keynote speaker. He paid homage to the men and women who are laying their lives on the line in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other parts of the world. Acknowledging the difficulty of serving more than one tour of duty as many of our current military personnel are required to do, Mr. Autry explained that he served for two years in Europe and then shipped back out to the war in the Pacific. He called for all Americans to put aside their petty differences and come together as a nation.

Last Sunday at Christ Episcopal Church four Veterans also spoke in a forum honoring their service to our country which spanned from World War II to our current “modern” warfare against terrorism. The power of these words touched my heart, so I share their stories with you today.

Since he is the last living survivor of the first wave on Omaha Beach, Steve Cromwell received a gold medal of honor from the U.S. Congress. Even so, he admitted that his own kids never knew of his experiences in World War II because he would never speak about it. He still has the piece of shrapnel that ripped his pants but left him unharmed as he ran across the beach during the Normandy Landing that day. Although people expected the Allied Forces to attack, they didn’t know when D-Day would occur. News of the offensive reached our City at about 11 a.m. The minister at Christ Episcopal Church started to ring the church bell. The courts and businesses closed. People knew something was happening and by 11:30 a.m. they gathered at the church to pray. All of Rockville’s soldiers survived the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944.

Ted Conway believes that each of us is made up of good and evil which leads us to do different things in different circumstances. Before shipping out, he was stationed around the country and everywhere he went, people would visit him. These people were friends of friends, neighbors, or family, and although they didn’t know him personally, they sought him out. He was on Okinawa during World War II and saw suicide planes hit U.S. ships. After the war, he started to think about his neighbors and realized neighbors were everyone in the world, a people of God.

Since he didn’t burn his draft card, Jim Hubbard went to South Vietnam in time for the 1968 Tet Offensive. He spent his time in a rice paddy surrounded by woods with a loud artillery battery. One night at dinner time, they took on a mortar round which injured six soldiers. Since it was dark, it was difficult for the helicopter to arrive and its red light became a beacon for more shots. As he lifted the radio to warn the helicopter, it was peppered with shrapnel but he was not injured. When his tour was over and he came back to the States, it was not so welcoming. His faith and forgiveness didn’t return until the Vietnam Memorial was dedicated. He told of Frederick Garten leaving the wedding ring of a young Vietcong soldier at the wall. He had carried it for 18 years but finally was able to put it down because that soldier was no longer the enemy. “The Memorial is a forgiving place. It is a healing place.”

As a Green Beret in the Special Forces, Sean Willeford fought in the modern war without the focus of past wars. At first it was anti-drugs in South and Central America and then the fight against terrorism in the Middle East. The enemy is not always so clear cut. In Sierre Leone they trained soldiers in basic marksmanship. The next day, the new soldiers staged a coup and turned against them. As they fired shots against their new enemy, they were thankful they weren’t very good shots. He saw extreme poverty and continual fighting that devastated communities. Christian missionaries came into these countries. Their missions always gave hope where there should be none. He realized that life is guided by more than just the facts of science.

Although they were sharing their stories, they admitted that many other Veterans still “hold in their war stories” and suffer. Small sounds or situations can bring back their experiences. They all carry the burden of these memories. As Mr. Autry said at today’s ceremony, no movies or pictures can convey the horrors of war.

At the end of Sunday’s forum, Ted Conway concluded, “You will not find anyone more interested in peace than those of us who have served.” Today we remember each of them and their sacrifices.

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