A Veterans Salute
‘A Veterans Salute’
Jennifer Linn, a staff writer for the Ludington Daily Newswrote this article about "A veterans Salute"
Friday, August 22, 2008, MANISTEE —
“A Veterans Salute” kicked off the Mason County Veterans Endowment Fund Friday night at the Ramsdell Theatre in Manistee.
Captain Tad Reed of the U.S. Army who served in Iraq was the keynote speaker during the program and shared a message of hope for the future of veterans and their families.
Just before taking the stage, Reed said he wrote his speech focusing on the endowment, which was created to help ease any burdens or sacrifices from serving the country for veterans and their families.
“They earned the right to expect their nation to take care of them,” the Ludington native said of veterans.
“Freedom isn’t free, tens of thousands of boys have died for it.”
Reed highlighted the importance of the fund by describing his responsibilities as a soldier and leader and how important it is to provide support for veterans and their families.
“My hope is that our young men and women of the armed forces return home and receive the care and counseling from the military services that they require. However, many will return to their home towns with great needs,” Reed said during his speech. “These needs, coupled with the needs of the veterans who have resided in our communities for years, and these recently returned veterans and wounded veterans, will be great, and the endowment will be there to assist the vets, assist their spouses and their dependents.”
The Veterans Administration is solid, Reed said, but is not always able to provide everything that veterans need. Wounds that are not visible to the naked eye are often challenging Reed said. The toll of post traumatic stress disorder can be more debilitating than physical wounds.
“One of my greatest challenges was learning to discern the wounds of my soldiers that were often below the skin so to speak,” Reed said. “These wounds, the wounds of the sight, the mind and the heart are often the most profound and dangerous.”
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Tags: military tribute, veterans
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