Commentary pg 1 11-8-12
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Commentary
Take a
moment to
thank a vet
By Ron P. Coderre
Since I was a young man it’s always been easy for me to remember Veterans Day, Nov. 11. That’s the day my mother and father were married, Nov. 11, 1939, one year after the day was made an official holiday, originally called Armistice Day.
The original declaration was done to commemorate the cease fire of WWI, which ended in 1918. In 1954, following the Korean conflict, the name was changed by Congress, at the urging of President Eisenhower, to Veterans Day as a way to honor all veterans.
As Veterans Day 2012 approaches it has additional personal significance. Although I never served in an armed conflict or was directly in “harm’s way”, I’m proud as an American that I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1959 and served proudly until my Honorable discharge in 1963.
Trained as an aircraft control and warning radar operator my memories of serving alertly and vigilantly on remote outposts during the Cold War and Cuban Missile Crisis, makes me proud to be a U.S. Air Force veteran. As a 19-year-old airman serving with the 866th AC&W Squadron in Tonopah, Nev., and later with the 919th AC&W team on Saskatoon Mountain in the far reaches of Northern Alberta, Canada, I remember the pride I relished in knowing I was serving my country. I continued doing my duty by concluding my four-year active duty stint at the 646th AC&W coastal radar squadron in Highlands, N.J., across the bay from Staten Island, N.Y.
Every Veterans Day, I pause and remember some of the acquaintances I made during those four years. Glynn Langford, my buddy from Arkansas, and the late Bob Cormier, from Massachusetts, who became a lifelong friend are dearly remembered.
I recall those long and extremely cold days and nights in Canada, where the newspapers from the States arrived one day after publication. The best memories are of another lifelong friend who has also died, Mike Olvera, a proud Mexican-American from California. He was our medic and only source of healthcare in no-man’s land. In the few short months or days of summer when we played on the Squadron baseball team, my Long Island buddy Ken Shore, an air policeman, hit the ball further than anyone I’ve ever played ball with.
Highlands AFS, although much more cushy duty, was the gateway to New York for all aircraft entering our air space. Hours spent on the radar scope were very tense. Knowing there were guys like Jerry Tisdale from Virginia, Gerry Hoiland from Iowa and Harry George from Pennsylvania by your side made life bearable.
Since being discharged almost 50 years ago, every Veterans Day I remember the men I was proud to serve with in each of those locations. Veterans Day also allows me the opportunity to stop and reflect on those men and women who served and gave their lives for their country and to appreciate the troops who so proudly and bravely protect our freedom today.
On Veterans Day 2012 and every day, when you encounter a veteran, say “Thank you.”