I had the opportunity last year to attend the Cal U Veterans Day lunch and as always the words of Major Roy Nickerson's speech humbled me so I thought I would share it. (Hope you don't mind Sir!!) Happy Veterans Day!!
Thank you to Lieutenant Robert Prah and the California University of Pennsylvania Veterans Club for flying me into Pittsburgh and putting me up for a night so I could speak at CalU's annual Veterans Day Luncheon. It's always a first-class event and this year was no exception. The support of the faculty, staff, and especially the University President, Dr. Angelo Armenti, Jr. is incredible there. The opportunity to speak at the beautiful upgraded campus is vey much appreciated. It's absolutely wonderful as was the treatment I received from the faculty, staff, and students that attended the event. Below are my remarks, minus the stuff at the beginning:
Our nation's veterans are a diverse group. They come to serve in this nation's military from a lot of different places and I mean that physically, mentally, and socially. They have different motivations—from paying for a college education to a sense of obligation to serve their country. For me, and I don't always like to admit it, I think it was mostly the pride I felt as a little boy watching my dad, Sergeant First Class August Nickerson, coming home in an olive drab uniform and listening to him and his friends telling war stories over beers. A little more of it came from my mom telling me stories of American GIs coming to help her family during the Korean War. Serving for me is personal and I value the opportunity everyday.
When I was thinking about this speech and wondering how I could do justice to our nation's veterans, I tried to think about commonalities between them. It's difficult. Though the combined strength of all the services; active, Guard, and Reserve components currently serving is less than one percent of the nation's total population they still number in the millions. Add the millions that have previously served to that number and you understand my challenge. They are as diverse as a young African-American from Compton, California who's trying to stay out of a gang to a guy like my dad from Plattsburgh New York who just wanted to get away from his mother. After all my efforts to find those commonalities, I ended up back at the common oath that each of us takes that promises we will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic and that we will bear true faith and allegiance to the same...
The Constitution of the United States of America; a truly wonderful and important document. Fifty-five men from throughout the colonies sat at the Constitutional Convention to fix the Articles of Confederation. Great, serious, thoughtful men looked forward into the vast expanse of this young nation's future and they looked for one to lead them. They looked for one who had experienced fire. He had felt danger and stared it down. They looked for one who had physically laid his life on the line; who had spilled blood and seen it spent by others for the sake of a mere idea that was a United States. And that idea would become the freedoms we enjoy today. In George Washington, they didn't look to the philosopher; though he was a thoughtful man. They didn't opt for the firebrand, though he was certainly passionate. They didn't opt for the clergyman, though he was a Godly man. Ladies and gentlemen, those men looked to the soldier because they knew that when the weak, yet growing nation needed a leader, he had and would lead and had and would do anything to maintain its security and therefore its freedom. That national tradition of depending on our fighting men and women held during this nation's war of self-discovery—the Civil War—before the nation was even a century old. When the Old World sought a savior from the toils of war on its soil, the nation's tradition of calling on its fighting men continued. When the world stood against the onslaught of tyrannical fascism, the tradition continued. It continued in the face of a vast communist threat and America's fighting men and women faced it down during the Cold War. And now, today, the tradition of answering the nation's call to duty still continues.
Many of the young faces in the crowd today have seen the ugly face of war on behalf of the nation's security interests. Today, things might be more complex. The world might be more dangerous. The rhetoric is certainly still just as heated. I contend though, that when the proverbial going gets tough, this nation's leaders still trust our military to lead us from strife. It's a burden and obligation we carry with the utmost diligence and I assure you, we take it very, very seriously.
On Veterans Day we take a few moments to honor those men and women who, despite the world's danger, stand sentry against all of this nation's enemies both foreign and domestic and say "not on my watch". Some people may question the connection between serving the nation's interests thousands of miles away and maintaining the security of our country here. My simple answer to why we do it is: through the construct of the US Constitution, you asked us to and each of us said yes when we raised our right hands and extended our loyal oath to defend that sacred writ. To see an eighteen-year-old make that commitment when he or she faces the prospect of fighting and dying in one of our country’s two wars, is humbling. Even so, to anyone who wonders about the integrity of our youth, I find solace knowing that Americans so young would think and act beyond their own interests so readily.
Today, we honor those men and women who serve and have pledged their very lives—not for a group of elected officials, not for Wall Street, not for big buildings in bigger cities, not even for 300 plus million people, because these things only comprise this nation; they are not the fabric that holds it together, the foundation that makes it so. They risk their lives for the simple, yet heavy idea that is human freedom as expressed in our sacred Constitution.
Before I conclude, I’d like to first challenge the veterans currently in the crowd, whether they are currently serving or have served in the military in the past, to continue the tradition of service to the community even out of uniform. When I recount names like George Washington and remember our great military leaders like Grant, Chamberlain, Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Powell, and Pennsylvania’s own George Marshall, I note that they are only a small example of those that continued to serve their communities long after they took off the uniform. Let the same patriot’s spirit that brought you to serve motivate you to serve your fellow Americans once you leave the military. Represent your service well by being an exemplary citizen and finding and maximizing every opportunity to better this nation and in the process, you will better yourself. Tell your story. Tell the military’s story, not just through words but through your deeds. Quietly and perhaps unbeknownst to most, there are over 200 veterans on this campus doing just that.
For those that serve our great nation in other, equally important ways, such as teaching America’s youth and preparing them to take on the challenges that will come in this still fledgling century, running and working in businesses that keep this country’s economy vibrant, I thank you as well. Your contributions are no less important to these United States and we know your love for this country runs equally as deep. Your presence here today to honor our veterans is proof of that. Yet I challenge you to honor these veterans not only today, but everyday. To do that you don't need a luncheon or a ceremony. It's simple and I'll tell you how all of us can do it: go speak freely. Use and thoughtfully speak your mind. Go to your mosque, your synagogue, go to your church and worship however you please. Don't be afraid to tell your elected officials how you feel! Meet with your friends and organize to do what you feel will make this country better. Exercise your right to pursue happiness. In short, be American. Honor your veterans by using the freedoms they defend every single day. I can only speak for myself, but as a veteran, I know that this will honor my service most. Thank you for this great opportunity and God bless America.
Scotty and I Military Ball 2010
Scotty and Maddo Veterans Day my Mom's school last year
Another one
Scotty out in the field
Me and Scotty before our first Military Ball
Another one out in the field
Shooting guns :)
Air Assault School
Cal ROTC
Another Military Ball
Commissioning and pinning
Same day
Commissioning ceremony
Col. Nemec giving speech
Giving Scott his oath
Commissioning
Scott with parents
Scotty with Gram and Aunt M
Me and the LT
Commissioning
Scotty, Col. Nemec and Prah
Scotty and Maj. Nickerson
Another one in true form
Wylie and Scotty after first salute
First Salute
First salute
Me, Scotty, Prah and Meg
Scott and Wylie
