Joyce Wagner
In Motion Staff Writer
Photo By: Joyce Wagner/ In Motion
Daytona State College Falcon Veterans Club and the Office of Co-Curricular Activities hosted a Veterans Day ceremony in Echo Plaza. In attendance were veterans representing every branch of the military and every conflict from WWII on.
Tents were set up to display various medals, mementos and information for the public. Participants included Rolling Thunder Florida chapter #8 who were there with their motorcycles. “They focus on doing seminars and speaking to school children about veterans and Veteran’s Day, but their mission is to bring MIA’s and KIA’s home. So far, over 400 have been identified from Korea, Vietnam and WWII,” said board chairman, Rich Malfitano.
Four military vehicles were on display courtesy of The Rat Patrol. Their organization finds and restores military vehicles. The order of the Purple Heart, University of Central Florida PTSD Awareness, the Korean War Veteran’s Association, the Vietnam Veterans Association, the American Legion, the Veteran’s of Foreign Wars, American Ex-Prisoners of War Association, the U.S. National Guard, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University drill team, and the Disabled American Veteran’s Club also were in attendance providing information to the public.
The day began with a luncheon sponsored by DSC student veterans for 11 local veterans. Distinguished veteran’s from WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War were among the attendees. A twelfth person was unable to attend due to a family emergency.
Comrades Share Experiences
As the table was prepared for lunch, George McLendon, 88, a WWII vet said, “ I was a Navy cook. They said, ‘One thing you do, if it don’t taste like nothin’, make it look good.’” He quickly added “I’m sure this will taste as good as it looks.”
Bob Bendlin, 70, a Vietnam vet, said, “I was very, very lucky. We started in January, off shore. I was Navy attached to the marines. By the time we landed, it was April. I only spent until late July and then I went home. My tour was up. Someone was watching over me. Nothing happened to me. I feel guilty at times because of that. We were protecting artillery in a little village. That’s all you heard all day was the shells going over your head. We did what they call Viet Cong sick call. We had a little house and we treated the natives.” Bendlin joined the military when he was 21.
Elmer “Charlie” Rago, 96, a WWII Navy vet, was the oldest in attendance. He arrived with Mary, his wife of 70 years. Dressed in his original uniform, he appeared ready to serve again if asked.
Also wearing the uniforms requisitioned to them decades ago were Ruth Heaphy, 93 and Jeanne Williams, 89. Both members of the Navy WAVES, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service. They spoke about how they felt the need to help. Heaphy, who was in the first class of WAVES, said, “I wanted to do something. I didn’t want to stay at home and knit scarves.”
Students from the Radio and Television Broadcast program were there representing AERho and the National Broadcasting Society Club of DSC. Their purpose is to video veterans for the Library of Congress. Taking an individual veteran aside, they asked several questions including their name, rank, branch of service, where they were stationed and what hey did. The brief interview of five to ten minutes also gives each veteran a chance to tell a memorable story. This project is ongoing.
Official Ceremony
At noon, the official observation began with the presentation of the colors by ERAU Color Guard while the Star Spangled Banner played. Master of ceremonies, Dr. Thomas Lo Basso, lead the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. Because of the windy conditions, the color guard remained standing, holding the flags in place for the duration of the ceremony.
Carol Eaton, DSC President, took time to recognize honored guests, employees and students who are veterans themselves. Her husband, Chuck Eaton, a retired Marines veteran was also in attendance. “According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, it is estimated that the number of veterans who have returned to colleges and universities in the past four years alone is more than one million people,” said Eaton, adding, “It’s the largest influx of veteran students since WWII.”
Dr. Melissa Paliani, a clinical psychologist with the Department of Veterans Affairs, touched on the topic of challenges faced by veterans when transitioning into civilian life. She started her talk with, “Imagine going to your job or school every day knowing that you could be killed for you job. IBM employees don’t have to worry about that. In fact, probably no one here has to worry about that. But our veterans did.”
Paliani continued on giving the audience a scenario encountered frequently by our troops currently overseas. “Imagine driving in a convoy, taking supplies to another unit and an IED explosion goes off. Part of your convoy gets hit. You empty out of your vehicle to provide security. That means you’re on the ground with your weapons pointed to make sure there’s nobody that’s going to attack you. But guess what happens? You’re running to the first vehicle that got hit and they watch their comrades burn to death in the vehicle because they can’t get it opened. Because bullets and rounds are cooking off, meaning they could get killed if they go in to rescue them. Imagine watching someone you know, your best friend, die by burning to death. If that’s not bad enough, insurgents like to fire on our soldiers when an incident has occurred. So there you are, providing security and the person next to you gets shot. You hold them and render first aid, they bleed all over you and die.”
To emphasis her point, Panamanian added, “ What our heroes have faced are beyond your worst nightmares. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD, is a normal response to an abnormal situation.”
Jeremy Stott with the University of Central Florida also spoke briefly about services offered free of charge to veterans suffering from PTSD. They also follow-up with military families who might need assistance.
Robert Balsoma, a DSC employee said, “Veterans face a lot of challenges coming from their environment to the college environment. Simple things like a classroom can be daunting to a veteran. Being in a large room may make them uncomfortable. They often don’t like to sit in front, opting for back seats where they are able to scan the environment better. and they are unlikely to sit near a window.”
The last speaker, also a DSC faculty member was Faith Testerman, a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. She recently returned from a deployment to Afghanistan. Testerman, along with her husband, David, raised four daughters. After six years of active duty, she went into the reserves for a total of 26 years of military service. Her voice filled with emotion, Testerman thanked all the people, including her husband who had made her military career possible.
A Time for Reflection
La Basso asked for the colors to be retired, thanking everyone for their participation.
Veterans Day is set aside specifically to show appreciation for the hard work and dedication of those who have in the past and still are serving in the United States military. It was mentioned several times throughout the day to show that appreciation each and every time you meet a veteran, by shaking their hand and thanking them for their service.