Honor and Sacrifice: Veterans Day in Madison Heights and Ferndale
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 11, 2015)
On a day to honor those who have served in the military, events in Madison Heights and Ferndale demonstrated that Veterans Day is more than just a day of patriotism. It is an opportunity to understand what service and sacrifice mean.
Members of VFW Post #1407 in Madison Heights did double-duty, taking part in services in both Ferndale and Madison Heights. At 11:11am they joined the Ferndale Memorial Association and representatives from the city at the Memorial Mall on Livernois for a brief service. Dick Wilcock introduced City Councilperson Greg Pawlica and Master Sgt. Miguel Gonzales, for speeches about the day, followed by a benediction and a playing of Taps.
Several then headed to the VFW Hall for a luncheon for the Veterans, including a group brought in from the Michigan Veterans Association in Detroit and the 1/187 Field Artillery of the Army. Madison Heights Mayor Brian Hartwell also spoke about the members of his family that served in the Navy.
Many who attended are homeless and often suffering from physical or mental afflictions due to their service.
Ivy Schaffer of the VFW Auxiliary helped coordinate the luncheon. “If it wasn’t for the Veterans, what kind of county would we have? Communism? Would we be able to come and go as we please, or would we be under a dictator’s thumb,” she said.
Schaffer’s dedication to those who served is a year-round passion. “I volunteer at the VA Hospital and it makes me cry. There are so many people with PTSD, so many amputees. They have given up so much but so few people have the time to say hello or give them respect.”
Major Stephen Lemelin of Ferndale is the Post’s Commander and an active member of the National Guard. For him the roots of the VFW speak volumes to the group’s mission, their current struggle, and why he is involved.
“We are a very old organization, started in the 1890s to help Veterans who had trouble getting their benefits,” Lemelin said. He explained that the group has many benefits, including camaraderie, a way to serve youth, and helping Veterans in need. But the group has also done a lot since the Vietnam Era to restore benefits that had been whittled away by cuts.
“For a long time the National Guard could not get healthcare benefits, and groups like the VFW pushed for that. They also worked to bring back the GI Bill so that people who serve could go to college. It would be disingenuous of me not to join an organization that did so much for me,” he said.
Lemelin is one of many in the paradoxical position of defending his country while also fighting against some of its policies. He was born in the US Virgin Islands, a place where people like himself are literally second-class citizens. Though born on US soil, people in the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Marianas do not have the right to vote in Presidential elections or have voting representation in Congress. Yet these areas are places where military recruitment is high.
When asked why he would serve a country that does not treat him equally, he said it is part of the process. He believes being involved can make a difference, and that by being engaged he can be part of raising awareness about those kinds of issues.
He is also concerned about practices that mean there are less fatalities in combat, but more injuries. “There are less people serving, but they are using the same people over and over. There needs to be care when these people get injured, or their bodies get worn out from all the gear. Knees go.   Backs go. We need to take care of those who come home and have sacrificed part of their health.”
At the ceremony in Ferndale, Master Sgt. Miguel Gonzales spoke about the sacrifices and the benefits. He gave thanks to the families of military personnel who stand by while their loved one is deployed.
He also spoke about how most who served are not wealthy. “Thousands have served are considered middle class,” he said.   “We’re not doing it for riches. We’re doing it for pride. We’re doing it to honor our country and to serve proudly.”
Gonzales also spoke about the benefits of military service. “The US Armed forces of today provide them with rich personal and professional development, a place to grow and find themselves, and if they decide to leave the military they have a leg up in civilian careers these days because of all the military training,” he said.
“250,000 vets from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are now attending college with the GI Bill.” He also brought up the “toys,” the rockets, the drones and the missiles that members of the military get to use.  Understanding that technology can help for those who work in industry and technology when they leave the service.
Protecting those benefits is part of what the VFW does, and part of what Gonzales, Lemelin and other hope people will take away from events like this.
Gonzales served 20 years of active duty and is on his 12^th year of service in the National Guard.
Pictures below are from events in Ferndale and Madison Heights.