Veterans Memorial Wall, Toledo, Oregon. Veterans serve all of us, not just some of us…

by | Jul 4, 2021

https://toledooregonrotary.org/projects/toledo-veterans-memorial-wall/
Toledo Veterans Memorial Wall
A very moving moment for me, US Navy vet Vietnam Era. Judy Sparks filmed this event…

At a time when all of us need to come together and heal, I was so moved by the unveiling of the Toledo Veterans Memorial Wall on July 3, 2021.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star-Spangled_Banner

https://sweetadelines.com/

As the “Sweet Adalines” ladies sang the Star Spangled Banner in the YouTube clip you can hear and see in the link above, I thought of my father. Dad served in all of WWII in the Pacific, including the USS West Virginia, Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941.

When Dad spoke of his time in battle fighting for our freedoms, he said, “we fought for all of us not just some of us.” This is what I believe today and always with my heart and soul…

When I served in the US Navy stationed in Pearl Harbor 1963-65, it was never about some of us. We served America for all of us…

When my oldest brother returned from serving off the coast of Vietnam on an aircraft carrier during the worst of the bombings, I asked him about how he felt back then. He said, without hesitation, “I was there to serve America, for all of us not just some of us…

When my youngest brother served in the Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Wa, he spoke of his love for America and protecting our freedoms. He still serves his community in law enforcement near Sacramento Ca..

My nephew was injured during the Gulf War while serving in the US Navy aboard ship. Too many 18 hour days on the deck of his aircraft carrier and sickness put him in the hospital. He is 100% disabled as a US Navy veteran…

When the Star Spangled Banner ended, I was still emotionally taken away with tears thinking about America fighting in so many wars to protect our freedoms. After thinking again of 9/11 and the Afghanistan/ Iraq wars that are finally ending, I teared up again…

When State Senator David Gomberg spoke so eloquently of his experience traveling the globe visiting war torn countries, and American cemeteries in Europe from WWII, I heard him say too, “we fought for all of us, not just some of us.”

So, on this day, while watching tears of joy from the Toledo Rotary Club members talking of their community pride. The Toledo, Oregon community Veterans Memorial Wall was built for our broader community in Lincoln County Oregon. This is a veterans memorial for all citizens to see with pride, honor, and remembrance…

My heartfelt thanks goes to the City of Toledo, Toledo Rotary Club, and Sweet Adalines for a job well done. You did this with love and kindness. You did this for all of us, not just some of us…

Happy 4th of July to all! God bless America and the veterans of all wars who served on behalf of all of us, not just some of us…

Steve and Judy Sparks
Children and Families in Life After Trauma

Be sure and download my new ebook with a free Kindle app on your device. Thank you for the fabulous reviews…

VFW Memorial Defoe Bay, Oregon with Neighbors for Kids

About the author

Steve Sparks is a retired information technology sales and marketing executive with over 35 years of industry experience, including a Bachelors’ in Management from St. Mary’s College. His creative outlet is as a non-fiction author, writing about his roots as a post-WWII US Navy military child growing up in the 1950s-1960s.
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