Veterans Day ceremony honors all who serve

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Jeff Loftin
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  More than 100 base and local veterans gathered here Sunday to pay tribute to those who have answered their nation's call and served in the U.S. armed forces. 

The Veterans Day ceremony included laying of a wreath in remembrance of those who gave their lives for their country, a performance by the Kadena High School Junior ROTC drill team and refreshments from the Kadena Officers' Spouses Club. 

Members of the American Legion, Okinawan Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9723 and 11435 were honored guests. 

"We are assembled here today to pay tribute to our veterans," said Staff Sgt. (Retired) Dennis Provencher, VFW Post 9723 quartermaster and guest speaker for the event. "The men and women who have served in the United States armed forces, are serving now, and who will serve in the future, our neighbors who have fought in defense of our country and for the preservation for our way of life, all these men and women are worthy of far greater recognition than mere words or markers. The sacrifices they have made, and will make, and the deeds they perform shall be written in history and shall remain alive in our memories for generations to come." 

After a flag raising ceremony by the Kadena Honor Guard, Sergeant Provencher paid tribute to the U.S. flag - a symbol veterans have fought and died for. 

"We've come here to honor the men and women who go forth as the living strength of our flag," he said. "They are the United States armed forces on land, sea and in the air. Some of them did not return. They are the honored dead whose resting place is found in many foreign lands and waters around the globe." 

Sergeant Provencher called military service "the privileged duty of every able-bodied American." However, Brig. Gen. Brett Williams, 18th Wing commander and host of the event, told the audience that few actually take up the call to service. He said out of the 300 million people living in the United States today only about 25 million have served in the military. 

"A very small segment of our population has risked their lives to preserve the American way of life," he said. "As Winston Churchill noted after the Battle of Britain in World War II, 'Never has so much been owed by so many to so few.'" 

The general said that veterans today are promoting an enduring peace by serving their country. Another way he said veterans can contribute to that peace is by telling family and friends why they make the sacrifices necessary for military service. 

"We can try to explain it in the sense of the satisfaction we all receive from being part of an organization that Gallop pollsters continue to find is the most respected in America - the United States military," said General Williams. "We can try to help them understand why we sacrifice our personal lifestyles, and more importantly those of our spouses and children, for the opportunity to serve. It is very apparent to all of us who are on the team why we do it. But, I am continually reminded, even talking to my own family, how far removed this life is from theirs." 

Another way the general said Americans can promote an enduring peace is by educating the next generation. 

"We must teach them the history of our country," he said. "Help them understand that blood has been shed, and is being shed today, so we can enjoy the freedom of religion, the right to vote, the right to bear arms, the right to say and think what is on your mind."
Veterans Day, originally called Armistice Day was established by President Woodrow Wilson in November 1919 to recognize those who had served in World War I. In 1954, President Eisenhower changed the name to recognize the contributions of all who have served in the nation's armed forces. General Williams said he considers himself lucky to be a part of that "very special" group. 

"I consider myself lucky because I have the opportunity to be a wingman, a leader and a warrior alongside incredible people who everyday give everything they have to ensure our American way of life survives and flourishes," he said.