Honoring service

Middle School band and choir members played and sang a selection of patriotic songs.

Mr. Wellman had suggested that it is always interesting to learn about an individual’s military service, as each one is unique. I wanted to join the Army right after high school, but my father who is a Vietnam War veteran discouraged me. So I went to college, earned my 4 year degree in dietetics and applied for the Army dietetic internship. They chose me, and that is how I began my career as a second lieutenant. I was active duty, working in hospitals, and occasionally going on field exercises. Then I got out, and then joined a reserve hospital after 9/11. I served from 1995-2006. I believed the Army would give me excellent training so I would be the best dietitian I could be, and would also fulfill that desire to serve my country. And it provided those things. What I did not bargain for is what I want to share with you today, and I gather resonates with the majority of veterans. Being in the military greatly influenced my perspective on life. Life is precious. Life is short. To make the most of it, you must discern, be wise, and prioritize. These veterans you see here understand, as they have lived life at its fullest - at the extreme experiencing the greatest successes they did not know they could achieve and the most difficult of hardships. It is a life where loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honesty, integrity, and personal courage are expected, tested, and exercised daily. The military is where the bar for conduct is set high for self and for your team. It remains higher than you think you could achieve alone, but with others you seem to attain it over and over, until you have the confidence to set it even higher for yourself. It is a life where your love for the ideals of democracy, liberty, and equal opportunity to work hard in order to pursue worthwhile goals - this love of this country and your love for fellow Americans moves you to be willing to be permanently changed or to even die in order to keep freedom going for the next generation, and the generation after that. You see, these veterans here know about life. They know more about how unique and excellent, and how honorable this United States of America is because they started with an inkling at a young age that it was worth fighting for, but then they were given opportunity to work alongside this country’s best, others like them, sometimes in foreign lands. And they came away with a deep appreciation for the nation - a deep appreciation for true freedom. And yes, America’s freedoms are worth fighting for, worth dying for. And so, as we sit there in relative peace and comfort, in a fine building built for growing more hard working patriotic Americans, we honor those who have served. We think upon all those from the time of the Revolutionary War to today who served, who sacrificed, those who bled, and those who died so that we can be here today. And though technically I am counted in their number because I served honorably, I do not consider myself worthy to stand among these real heroes you see here. They may not speak about their service, or tell you of their awards - but there are many here highly decorated, and are deserving of our honor. On behalf of all those here today, we thank you, we honor you, we are thankful for those who died by your side, we mourn their loss with you, and we will remain grateful and by the power of our God live lives worthy of the sacrifice they made by living our best versions of ourselves with loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honesty, integrity, and personal courage - all because of the freedom that has been preserved by their service and your service. Thank you for being the example we can hope to attain. Thank you for freedom to fulfill the purpose for which each here was designed for. Thank you audience for your attention. — Shellie Shaw, Taylor County Veterans Service Officer