Because I’ve lived in the nation’s capital for over 43 years, I usually attend Veterans’ Day ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery.  It begins with a wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns followed by a speech by the U.S. President and features the Air Force’s Concert Band and Singing Sergeants.  Granted, the ceremony is impressive, but it is crowded as one has to be in place as early as 8:00 a.m. noisy as planes from National Airport roar overhead, and relatively impersonal as the event is tailor-made for the media.  But this year, I attended what was perhaps the most moving Veterans’ Day ceremony I’ve ever experienced in Owatonna, Minnesota on November 5^th.  And it really wasn’t  because my own father, Sid Wilker, blew taps at the conclusion of the service; he’s done that for years at Fort Snelling in St. Paul, Minnesota at countless military funerals.  What truly made this small ceremony so personally poignant for me was the immediacy and personalization of the event for the following reasons.

            The opening prayer and address was offered by Rev. Wilson of the Associated Church of Owatonna.  Rev. Wilson spoke of the German Lutheran pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer who was one of the leaders in the German resistance movement against Nazism.  Because of his involvement in the plan to assassinate Hitler, Bonhoeffer was held in the Tegel military prison and hung in 1945.  His impact on the role of Christianity in today’s secular world has not been forgotten.  However, in his address, Rev. Wilson focused on Bonhoeffer’s belief in democracy and his insistence on doing what is right for humanity, an even higher calling.

            Then, volunteers Irma and Mort Graham sang and played a moving rendition of “Oh God of Every Nation.”  Next, Ferris Chladek of Owatonna, dressed in his military uniform bedecked with his service medals, spoke of his trip to see the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC.  While there, he was astounded at the numbers of young people who personally thanked him for his service.  He told of a little girl who crawled into his lap and gave him a kiss after which she ran to her parents and exclaimed, “I just kissed an American hero!”  Ferris said, “Hell, I wasn’t a hero; I was just doing my job in my service to my country.”

            Ferris’ recollections were followed by Sue Hancock, who told of her own son’s current military service in Afghanistan and of the military funeral with full honors that she recently attended in North Dakota for her godson.  She said, “When I saw the numbers of people in attendance, the entire military escort, and the respect paid to that fallen soldier, I was especially proud to be an American.”

            Then, in a personal salute to the Veterans living at Cedarview, an assisted living facility, each name was read and the veteran applauded:  Sidney Jarvis, Richard Mork, Melvin Oyloe, Sid Wilker, Melvin Dimmel, Donald Gunderson, Lawrence Een, Eddie Suchanek, Ken Caswell, Richard Marshall, Francis Porter, Francis Sorg and Elmer Thiele.

            Then, the Veterans from Park Place, another assisted living facility were recognized:  Bob Ringhofer, Don Thiede, Roger Morries, and Phil Price.

            And finally, the Gold Star Mothers in attendance were hailed: Martha Harra, Betty Wencl, and Harriet Fichten.

            After all sang, “My County Tis of Thee,” taps were played.  During this ceremony, stories from the heart were shared.  For the most part, these people knew one another, came from similar backgrounds, were near to one another in age, shared the same community connections, and genuinely cared for one another’s contributions to this nation.  Sadly, many of the participants won’t be attending next year’s Veterans’ Day service because America is losing thousands of World War II veterans each day.  Perhaps the poem read that day by Cedarview’s staff member Dori Steinbauer encapsulated the pride and gratitude each of us felt that day particularly for Owatonna’s Veterans.

            “Their collective experience spans two world wars and several foreign conflicts.  They have followed war mules through Flanders Field, dropped from landing barges onto the beaches of Normandy, faced the icy cold of Porkchop Hill and trudged the rice paddies of the Mekong Delta.  But regardless of differences in makeup and experience, all veterans share a common bond–a brotherhood of memory and hard won wisdom that helps define their character.......  A veteran’s motto is to live and let live.   But if he had to choose between servitude and conflict, the veteran would once again answer the call to duty because above all else, a veteran is an American.”

            Thus, next year, I will again forego the scene at Arlington and as impressive as it is, opt to attend a small town ceremony where I loved the immediacy and personal testimonies of those who have sacrificed and are willing to share their love for America and appreciation of one another.