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Bob Ebeling, a World War II veteran and member of the Striber-McVicar VFW Post, salutes the flag during the Veterans Day ceremony.
Source photo by Matt December
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What does Veterans Day mean to you?
That was a question asked by Derrick Miller, post commander at the Striber-McVicar Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 2052, during the group’s annual Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 11.
“What does it mean to people who aren’t veterans? I know what it means to me,” said Miller. “It is about protecting this country. It is about being there to protect your family, friends. I think people have forgotten what Veterans Day is supposed to be about.”
The Veterans Day ceremony takes place annually at the Veterans Memorial in the Romeo Cemetery and is a way to honor veterans from across the nation.
Sen. Alan Sanborn was one of several local officials on hand for the event.
“In addition to the dedicated service to this nation displayed by Romeo’s veterans, we must also take a moment to recognize the thousands of American servicemen and women who aren’t necessarily from our community, but who are currently fighting America’s war on terrorism, keeping the peace, feeding the hungry and providing disaster assistance in every corner of the globe,” said Sanborn. “The life of a soldier is not an easy one and their duty rivals the most difficult task given to man - protecting our nation with their lives while spending time in a foreign land far away from their families to insure their homelands remain safe and their loved ones remain free.
“While today is a special day worthy of extra recognition, we should not be deceived into thinking that the honoring of these brave men and women on just a single day is sufficient,” Sanborn continued. “We as Americans must be thankful and show our appreciation every day for the sacrifices that these men and women have made and continue to make.”
Miller, a member of the VFW since 1999 and member of the Michigan Air National Guard at Selfridge, said he would like to see a greater emphasis placed on the importance of Veterans Day.
“A veteran is someone who at one point in their life wrote a blank check made payable to the United States of America for an amount up to giving their life. This honor is sometimes taken for granted nowadays,” Miller said. “I would like to turn it into a larger thing, like Memorial Day. I would like to see hundreds of people turn out. It should be an important day for our country.”
For more information about the Striber-McVicar VFW Post No. 2052 or the post’s Ladies Auxiliary, call 336-1011.
