More Than a Thank You: Johnson County Honors Its Veterans at Heritage Hall

Veterans Day program celebrates service, sacrifice, community and the importance of looking after those who have served.

There were plenty of thank-yous shared at Heritage Hall Theatre Wednesday morning as Johnson County gathered to honor our veterans. And rightly so. But woven throughout the November 11 ceremony was another message that deserves a little more attention.

Saying thank you is important. Making sure our veterans know they haven’t been forgotten is even more important.

The Veterans Day observance brought together veterans, their families, elected officials and community members for a morning of patriotism, reflection and appreciation.

The program opened with a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem by Liyah Hillman, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, an invocation by retired U.S. Army Chaplain James Boggess and the posting of the colors.

One particularly special moment came with the recognition of 101-year-old veteran Rollin “Vic” Vickers, who will celebrate his 102nd birthday in January. A familiar face at local Veterans Day and Memorial Day observances, he received a well-deserved round of applause from the audience.

A Community That Continues to Serve

Mountain City Vice Mayor Celeste Dunn reminded those gathered that Johnson County is home to more than 1,300 veterans. And many of those veterans are still serving, just in different ways.

They’re the folks helping with military funerals, community ceremonies, scholarships, youth programs, food distributions and countless other activities throughout the county.

Through organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion, these men and women continue giving their time and talents to the community they call home.

Dunn reflected on the generations of Americans who answered their country’s call and the importance of remembering their sacrifices.

“We owe them more than a few words one day a year,” she said. “We owe them our respect, our remembrance, and our thanks.”

Johnson County Mayor Larry Potter spoke about efforts to improve access to services for local veterans, including the veterans clinic on Cold Springs Road and the relocation of the Veterans Service Officer to the former armory, now known as the Billy Mosier Building.

Potter recalled the less-than-ideal accommodations veterans previously had to navigate when seeking assistance and said providing a more accessible and welcoming location was simply a matter of respect.

“We live in a very contentious time, and right versus left, conservative versus liberal, all these things. When you walk through this door, no one asks you what your party was. No one asked you what your affiliation was, what your nuances were, what you thought about this or thought about that. The common tie, the common bond, is that we are Americans and we’re grateful.”

state representative Timothy Hill

State Representative Timothy Hill also expressed his appreciation, noting that despite the political divisions we see across the country, honoring our veterans is something that should bring Americans together.

Hill also commended Johnson County for continuing to make veterans and their families a priority.

Sometimes It Starts With “Hey Man, How You Doing?”

One of the morning’s most meaningful messages came from Jon Kob, a retired U.S. Marine, who focused on something that doesn’t always get enough attention — what happens after military service ends.

For some veterans, the transition to civilian life brings the opportunity to enjoy family, grandchildren and a well-earned retirement. For others, the adjustment can be much more difficult.

Some struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), isolation, mental health challenges or other issues that aren’t always visible to the people around them.

Kob reminded the audience that military service is built around teamwork. Service members learn to depend on one another, look out for one another and work together through difficult circumstances.

So why, he asked, should veterans be expected to face some of life’s toughest challenges alone?

His suggestion was simple.

“Hey man, how you doing?”

“Hey man, what you been up to?”

“Hey man, is there anything I can do for you?”

Sometimes a conversation is the first step toward helping someone who may be struggling.

Kob also encouraged greater participation in veterans organizations, pointing out that these groups not only advocate for benefits and services but play an important role in strengthening the community.

And imagine, he suggested, what our local veterans organizations could accomplish if they had twice as many active volunteers.

It’s worth thinking about. We often talk about supporting our veterans, but sometimes that support begins with something as simple as reaching out to a neighbor.

As Kob reminded those gathered, veterans are a community within a community, with experiences and skills that can make Johnson County an even better place to live.

The Families Who Serve Alongside Them

“Gratitude is a beautiful sentiment, and I appreciate it. But it requires action. It’s easy to wave a flag and cheer at a parade and to offer a polite thank you for your service. But those gestures, as good and meaningful as they are, aren’t the end of our responsibility as citizens.

Whether we’re in uniform or not doesn’t matter. As citizens who inherit the daily blessings of freedom, we also inherit the sacred, ongoing obligation to protect it as well.

We have an obligation, and we have an obligation to our veterans to remember, to remember their stories, to remember their service, to preserve what they have done ahead of us, and to pass that along to our kids and our grandkids to teach them what it means to stand for the flag and why that’s important, the values that we hold dear.”

chaplain (colonel) steve cruys, U.S. Army retired

Chaplain (Colonel) Steve Cruys, U.S. Army (Retired), offered another important perspective — military service is rarely an individual sacrifice.

Behind every service member are spouses, children, parents and loved ones who also experience the deployments, separations, uncertainty and challenges that come with military life.

Reflecting on his own years of service, Cruys spoke about the friendships forged in the military, the resilience developed by military children and the importance of the families who stand behind those wearing the uniform.

He recalled entering the Army at 17 and later returning to military service as a husband and father of four daughters. Like many military parents, he wondered how growing up in that environment might affect his children. What he discovered was that military life could also teach children resilience, adaptability and the ability to build friendships wherever life takes them.

Cruys also brought a little humor to the morning, sharing a favorite observation from a Marine friend about the bonds formed during military service.

“I don’t miss the circus, but I miss the clowns.”

Anyone who has spent time around veterans has probably heard similar sentiments. They may not miss every aspect of military life, but the friendships and experiences shared with those who served beside them often last a lifetime.

But it was Cruys’ challenge to the community that perhaps best captured the larger message of the morning.

“Gratitude is a beautiful sentiment, and I appreciate it. But it requires action. It’s easy to wave a flag and cheer at a parade and to offer a polite thank you for your service. But those gestures, as good and meaningful as they are, aren’t the end of our responsibility as citizens.”

He continued by reminding the audience that the freedoms Americans enjoy also carry responsibilities — including preserving veterans’ stories, teaching younger generations about service and becoming involved in the communities those veterans helped protect.

Cruys encouraged citizens to vote, get to know their neighbors, teach their children and treat others with respect even when they disagree.

In other words, honoring those who have defended our freedoms also means taking responsibility for how we use them.

A Thank You That Lasts Beyond November 11

The program also recognized The Kody Norris Show, whose members were on hand in support of the veterans. Watch a video of their performance below!

Throughout the morning, the messages shared from the Heritage Hall stage carried a common thread.

Our veterans have given much to this country. Their families have sacrificed alongside them. And many of those same veterans continue giving back to Johnson County long after their military service has ended.

We owe them our gratitude, certainly. But we also owe them something more.

We can support our local veterans organizations. Take time to listen to a veteran’s story. Check on someone who may be struggling. Help younger generations understand the sacrifices behind the freedoms they enjoy.

And perhaps most importantly, remember that not every battle ends when a service member comes home.

Veterans Day gives us an opportunity to stop, reflect and say thank you. Wednesday’s ceremony at Heritage Hall reminded us that we have another 364 days to show we mean it.

To the veterans of Johnson County, and to the families who have served alongside them, thank you. Not just on Veterans Day, but every day.