Today is Veterans Day, a holiday intended to thank veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. The Census Bureau tells us that we’ve got around 23 million veterans in the United States. I am one of those and so is Ramona.
Newspapers across the nation had stories and articles of one kind or another in this day of celebrating our veterans and their service to the country. I am so proud of the young men and women of today for their service to our country. There were stories of sacrifice and continuing sacrifice as our wounded warriors and their familes deal with their injuries. There were stories of valor, or heroic action, of being part of a team for the greater good. My story is different, it is a story about one individual I remember each Veteran’s Day.
His name is Robert Worth. He was as fine a young man and friend anyone could have hoped to have.
The history of Veterans Day dates back to the end of World War I. November 11 was declared “Armistice Day” in 1919 by President Woodrow Wilson to honor the soldiers of World War I. After World War II, the holiday was recognized as a day of tribute to veterans of both world wars. Beginning in 1954, the United States designated November 11 as Veterans Day to honor veterans of all U.S. wars.
On Veterans Day, I always think of my favorite Veterans, my friends who are no longer with us. We were all young together, but they stayed eternally young. My war was during the Vietnam era. I served in the U.S. Army, Airborne. One of my good friends who served in the Navy was killed as a helicopter gunner. His name was Robert Worth. He was a good kid. He could fix any car, do a triple flip off the low board at the pool, and was a good hot rodder back during the day. Several other friends served as door gunners, tunnel rats, artillery, and infantry. All good young men, and the ones who lived through it are all good men today. It’s just that I remember Robert especially on this day. I knew others that were killed or disabled, Robert was just the special one for me. i also think of Willie, Larry, Walter Lowe, Elkins, Harry, Solsbery, Black, Meroney, Crowder, Martinez, Gore, Sandel, Williams and many more friends. Some made it home, some didn’t. If you know of someone who is buried in a Veterans Cemetery, but you don’t know quite where to find them, try the Veterans’ grave site locator. Robert Worth is buried in a dry little cemetery in Big Lake, Texas. I was a pall bearer at his funeral.
We worked together in the back shop of a country weekly newspaper my dad owned. I taught Robert how to ‘throw back’ type, operate a printing press, and feed broadsheets into an old Babcock press. After football practice, I would go down to work at the newspaper, and Robert would already be there, doing his job and part of mine too.
I was home from college on a holiday and his very young wife called the house and asked if I would be a pall burier at Robert’s funeral. I said I would and did not correct her grammar. She didn’t know any better. None of us knew any better back then.
I got most of this information from a U.S. Government website.
Many towns and communities across America plan events to honor local veterans and the National Veterans Day Observance is held each year at Arlington National Cemetery where veterans and other exceptional individuals from the Revolutionary War to the present military action in Iraq and Afghanistan are buried. The National Park Service preserves many battlefields, military parks, and historic sites that commemorate and honor the service of American veterans and will offer free admission on Veterans Day to veterans and active military.
What did you do to observe Veterans Day?
