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Every service era since World War I was represented at the Veterans Day Remembrance held at San Ramon Valley High in Danville last week, noted retired U.S. Navy Admiral Jud Scott who gave the keynote speech. He said the oldest war veteran still alive is 109 and honored him in his absence.
Danville Mayor Mike Doyle welcomed everyone to town and urged everyone to show appreciation for service men and women.
“No matter what you are doing, whenever, wherever you see an individual in uniform. Stop!” Doyle said. “Take just a moment of your time, walk up to them – and shake their hand – smile and truly thank them for their service.”
Scott, who lives in Blackhawk, was a JAG Officer in the Navy, then a practicing attorney and recently was appointed as a Federal Judge for Administrative Cases. He spoke about “What is a hero?”
“Today, we have over 1.3 million men and women on active duty. Another 1.1 million serve in the National Guard and Reserve forces,” Scott said. “In contrast with these huge numbers, there have been only 3,448 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor since it was first awarded in 1863 during the Civil War.
“Interestingly, and to put those numbers in better perspective, of these 3,448 medals, 1,522 were awarded during the Civil War and only 464 from World War II when millions of Americans served in combat all over the globe. Awards of this highest medal for heroism are rare indeed.”
He talked about the culture in America today that celebrates acts of heroism, in which people go above and beyond when the situation presents itself. Then he went on to talk about the value of “everyday heroes.”
“Some of the men and women we honor here today served and distinguished themselves in combat. Others served in peacetime, or during combat in positions where they were not exposed to enemy fire,” he said. “Each and every one, however, wrote a blank check to America where they swore to serve our country and, if necessary, to redeem that check at the cost of their life to serve and protect our country.”
“We thank you and we salute you,” Scott concluded, addressing the veterans in attendance. “Our nation is far better for your service and we are also better that you are among us as veterans and as our fellow Americans. You, better than most, understand the value of our freedoms and the high cost to protect them. We remain in your debt. Indeed, they probably had you in mind when it was said:, ‘This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.'”
By Staff reports
By Staff reports
How sad you can’t get the name correct on the citizens you cover in your stories. It is not a big task to simply verify the name and how it’s spelled. With the reputation our formerly great media now has in this country, getting the name correct would seem to be a priority, especially in such a significant event as honoring our country’s military. But we have to remember that we are dealing with a media that is no longer part of the pride of our country. You should be ashamed of yourself.
It’s been corrected. Apologies to Admiral Scott.
Dear Dolores,
No one likely knows your history in SE Asia. It is that history that makes you unique and an exceptional journalist.
I would appreciate your readers’ thoughts on the reality that no one knows how to spell the name of the unknown soldier(s) or that many soldiers of different lands are buried without recognition.
Soldiers learn first hand that WAR is little more that keeping each other alive. WAR leaves waste and it is the reality of waste that brings the world back together. We can serve those that have served so well by making sure that WAR is not an option and creating more veterans does not waste the valiant service of our youth.
Does that make sense to your readers?
halbailey@yahoo.com
Nice article – thank you Danville Weekly – and THANK YOU to the Admiral Scott and all Veterans for your service.