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thedrifter
11-12-07, 08:23 AM
An ideal time to say 'Thanks'

By MICHAEL MALIK
mmalik@journalandcourier.com

200 reach out to veterans of all ages, branches

Art Smith served in the Marines for 22 years and fought in the Vietnam War.

When veterans would return from Vietnam, Smith said, they didn't want to wear their uniforms, and some didn't even want to come back.

"Nobody would talk to you, or they would spit at you" he said of veterans who wore their uniforms upon their return to the United States.

For this reason, Smith said, it is important to tell how other veterans made sacrifices so kids could live the life they're living today.

Smith's sentiment was echoed by others who spoke Sunday at a ceremony honoring America's veterans at the Indiana Veterans' Home.

About 200 people, including several veterans, attended the ceremony in honor of Veterans Day.

People gathered not only to honor their brothers and sisters who died while serving in the armed forces, but to spread the message of the sacrifices made by all those who served in the military.

Each branch of the military was honored at the ceremony by the singing of their song.

Brig. Gen. J. Stewart Goodwin, with the Indiana War Memorial Commission, delivered the keynote address, in which he noted that Hoosiers serve in the military at a disproportionally higher rate than residents from other states.

"We feel today the most important thing we can do with veterans is tell the story," Goodwin said. "We need to make sure that those stories continue to get told."

State Rep. Sheila Klinker, a Lafayette Democrat, told a story about a man who never received his Purple Heart for being wounded, and she related how much it meant to the veteran when the medal was pinned on his chest years later.

Goodwin had a challenge for each person at the ceremony -- to thank a military veteran.

The simple act, Goodwin said, of thanking a veteran for his or her service helps make up for the lack of respect shown to vets from previous wars.

Ellie