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Dear Editor:
As we approach and rightly acknowledge Veterans Day on Nov. 11, there will be many communities recognizing our nation’s veterans, both retired and active duty.
Of all World War II veterans who served, less than 0.2 percent of those are still living. Korean War veterans, of whom my Uncle Bob is one, count for 728,000, with most being in their late 80s into their 90s. Veterans of the Vietnam War, of which I watched horrific news items on a daily basis in the mid-to-late 60s, number fewer than 850,000 as I write this.
We acknowledge, honor, and revere those who made choices that, frankly, most of us would never choose to do: to serve humbly and courageously in the service of our country.
As a descendant of a Patriot who fought in the Revolutionary War, and one who saw some of my own classmates who served in Vietnam lose their lives and sometimes returned with serious PTSD, I am so in awe of these veterans and their commitment to our country.
I would like to share a poem I wrote about an experience several years ago in North Carolina.
The Dry Cleaning Man, 1998
He was the owner; a tall, Black, 50ish, slender man with a toothy smile.
Good morning, ma’am, it is a fine day
Yes, sir, it certainly is, she said, as she hurried on her way.
Months passed, maybe a year, always same greetings, same smiles
Seated behind the counter today; the same smile, the same greeting,
wearing his full dress Army uniform
Memorial weekend
Isn’t it just a fine day, ma’am he said
Thank you for your service, sir, she replied.
No one has ever said that to me, said Dry Cleaning man, and I surely thank you.
We were told to not wear our uniforms coming back into the States, he said.
They blame us, and I guess I understand, so many left for dead.
I never knew his name.
He was the Dry Cleaning Man, and a Patriot.
Weeks later, I ask, where is your boss today?
Heart attack, instant, yesterday
Did anyone else say “Thank you, sir, for your service” to him, I wonder?
Say it.
Sharon McMahon, Past Chapter Regent
Horseshoe Prairie Chapter, NSDAR
Noblesville
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