Photo By Tech. Sgt. Mackenzie Mendez | Retired Staff Sgt. Allen G. Wood, United States Army, celebrates during a Veterans Day...... read more read more
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Fairchild celebrated Veterans Day by participating in numerous events including ceremonies at the Spokane Arena, Felts Field Honor Point Museum, George Wright Cemetery, Spokane Veterans Home and Cheney Middle School. Fairchild leaders spoke to more than 800 veterans and family members throughout the weekend’s celebrations.
“[Veterans] proudly served in the past, they proudly serve today and because of our nation’s belief in securing a more perfect union, defending justice, ensuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense, promoting the general welfare and securing the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our future; they will continue to serve,” said Col. Ryan Samuelson, 92nd Air Refueling Wing commander. “Their actions have protected the foundation of freedom on which our nation was formed.”
Washington is home to nearly 600,000 veterans: 223,000 Gulf War Veterans, 201,000 Vietnam-Era Veterans, 37,000 Korean Conflict Veterans, 17,000 World War II Veterans, 138,000 Peacetime Veterans and more than 2 million military family members.
Retired Staff Sgt. Allen G. Wood is one of the 17,000 WWII Veterans living in Washington. He began serving in the U.S. Army in November 1942 as a private first class. Wood left the service as a staff sergeant nearly four years later with a Purple Heart, Bronze Star and WWII Victory Medal.
“I am so thankful for the men and women still serving today,” said Wood. “They continue to protect Spokane and the U.S., and for that I am grateful.”
Known today as “Veterans Day,” Nov. 11 is the anniversary of the armistice, or truce, signed between Germany and allied nations during World War I, officially ending the war and recognizing Nov. 11 as “Armistice Day.” In 1954 during World War II, after the largest mobilization of service men in the history of the U.S., the day was officially changed to “Veterans Day.”
“While history can be said to make us smarter, it is heritage that makes us prouder,” said Samuelson. “When your heritage is filled with the tremendous acts of courage, sacrifice, duty, honor and determination by our amazing patriots we call veterans, it is a heritage to be proud to have.”
| Date Taken: | 11.14.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 11.21.2016 17:59 |
| Story ID: | 215487 |
| Location: | SPOKANE, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 77 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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