When soldiers from Vietnam returned home, instead of being appreciated, thanked and welcomed, many were criticized. Some troops were drafted and still fought for their country and made sacrifices.

Although attitudes toward military personnel are different today, Congress is now standing up for our war veterans, officially making “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.”  This now adds an additional official day, making it three, in which we recognize and celebrate the men and women who serve our country.

Honoring our veterans is nothing new at Milford High School. For the 2^nd straight year, Milford made an effort to go above and beyond honoring our veterans by holding an assembly on Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11. The goal of the event was to show how appreciative the community and country should be of service men and women.

Joe Salvia, former Commander of Milford’s American Legion, worked with the MHS leadership class to create an event that would be memorable and moving for students, staff and veterans themselves.

“It was extremely exciting,” explained Salvia of the assembly. “The leadership group was very energized and passionate; they truly cared and put forth a lot of hard work into making it a great event.” After the assembly, students gave the veterans a standing ovation, followed by a clap out of the building. Even after the bell had rung, students stayed and cheered the veterans on. That action in itself showed an immense amount of respect from the students. The veterans that attended were there to represent the armed forces and many were “overwhelmed to see the how the students thanked them,” stated Salvia.

Senior Andrew Golda was also impressed with the assembly. As the only MHS student currently enlisted in the service, Golda thought it was “great to see that Milford students are taking pride in our veterans.”

Golda already completed Basic Combat Training this past September in Ft. Benning, Ga. “Basic was rough. It put me through Hell and back,” explained Golda as he remembered his experiences. “At the same time, it was sweet because we were trained on how to fire M16’s and machine guns.”

Like Salvia, Golda belongs to the Michigan Army National Guard. Salvia served in 1962 through 1968, during Vietnam.

As the current Commander of AMVETS Huron Valley Post 2006, Salvia’s goal is to make sure “we never forget.”

“My generation will always remember, but we want to make sure that your generation doesn’t forget those that have fought and those that currently serve,” Salvia said.

Inspired by his grandfather who served in the Korean War, Golda has wanted to go into the service all of his life. “I serve to protect the people,” stated Golda proudly. “In our motto, it states that we serve the people and to me, that’s the most important thing.”

Next fall, Golda will be leaving for training yet again, this time for AIT (specialty training) for M-Signals which is basically the army’s communication school. He will learn how to set up and maintain radio signals and networks so that soldiers will be able to better communicate efficiently.

Nowadays, when people are at a sporting event, the grocery store, work, or even family functions, very few know of someone around them who have been in the service at some point. “It is our duty to recognize those that have served and make sure they feel appreciated,” encouraged Salvia.

Salvia wanted students to remember that as we go about our daily routines there are constantly armed men and women fighting for our freedom.

“We need to acknowledge their dedication and sacrifices to our country,” stated Salvia. “Furthermore, take the time to say thank you.”

Salvia stressed the importance of remembering those that “shed their blood” to serve us. The purpose of Veteran’s Day is to “celebrate and remember,” said Salvia, “Without the men and women that serve, our country would have no defense whatsoever.”

According to http://www.cause-usa.org, only one percentage of the American population is currently serving in the U.S. military. Golda, along with all service members including, Troy Diederich, a PV2 in the United States Army Reserves, represent that one percent.

“I joined the army to fight for my country,” said Diederich, “to be part of a team that less than one percent of Americans are on; and of that percentage, one percent is made up of people my age.”

For Diederich, coming home was a rewarding experience; he recognized the effect he had on people. “It was awesome,” stated Diederich. “I was treated like a soldier, given a great amount of respect and appreciation.”

It wasn’t until he returned home that Diederich noticed how much he had changed. “While I was training, we applied the core values,” (loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage) “learned how they were important and it changed us from young men into soldiers.”

Milford students are getting involved to support the troops. As the current State Society President for Children of the American Revolution, Nate LeMarbe takes pride in helping our community and veterans in as many ways as possible. Right now, LeMarbe is working on a project to raise money for the Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, which honors the military service for our veterans.

If you want to contribute to this great cause, LeMarbe is selling “Support Our Troops” wristbands for $2 and all of the proceeds go towards the purchase of phone cards for soldiers overseas.

“It’s fulfilling to give back to our soldiers; they do so much for us,” said LeMarbe. “It’s great to know that they will be able to talk to their loved ones over the holidays.”

If you want to help in any way, donations of old cell phones are now being accepted at the high school along with local car dealerships in hope to raise enough money to purchase more than 12 million minutes of pre-paid calling cards for soldiers stationed overseas. This year alone, “593,535 service men and women have been served,” due to donations to the non-profit organization Cell Phones for Soldiers, according to www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com

Next time you see a soldier or veteran, take a moment to say “thank you.” “Those two words may not seem like much, but it goes far,” said Salvia. “We all need to show our support and appreciation—and not just on the few times a year where their service is officially recognized, but on a daily basis. We need to always be thankful and not take their service for granted.”

(Photo courtesy of Troy Diederich) Troy Diederich and battle buddies demonstrate drills for family and friends after graduating from Basic Training in Ft. Sill, OK.