AMERICA: THE HOME OF THE BRAVE

America is a truly unique country. Our style of government is vastly different from those of countries whose governments predate our own. And of all the people to whom we owe immense gratitude for this wonder of a government, veterans rank among the top.

Nov. 11 is a day set apart for us to remember this, and honor those who have served. This being the purpose, the day originally deemed “Armistice Day” (celebrating the end of World War I) was later bestowed the moniker “Veterans Day.” 

Some may wonder, “What is Veterans Day? Is there more to it than honoring veterans?”

The answer is a resounding “Yes.” Beyond the surface description of honoring our veterans there is so much more to learn. To truly derive respect for these men and women, these soldiers, who have fought to protect this “land of the free,” it is vital to comprehend the blood, sweat, tears, and hell many have been through.

One such individual who has experienced this first hand is Troutdale resident and MHCC alumnus Bruce Wasson.

Wasson, 70, is a classic car and train enthusiast who served during the Vietnam War. He has, for multiple years, participated in Reynolds High Schools’ “Living History Day,” which takes place every November. Living History Day allows veterans to visit a Reynolds district school to share their experiences and give students a better idea of what the military is, or was, like.

Wasson generously shared with The Advocate his perspective on serving in the military and the meaning of this holiday.

When asked, he explained that the holiday was established, in part, “to pay our respects to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Because we who have survived have the blessing of life that those who died do not. We should not forget what they sacrificed to keep this unique nation as one.” 

As for his view of what being a veteran means, he said, “It means that I gave up three years of my life, voluntarily, to serve a country that is unique, compassionate, and God-fearing. I believed in the goodness of the American people and its leadership.”

To dig even deeper, it seemed appropriate to obtain Wasson’s thoughts on what it is that makes this nation so unique and learn a bit of his personal story. 

To him, America is unique because of “its form of government, [which was] founded by very, very wise men and based on godly principles put forth in the Bible.” 

While this is one of his reasons for serving the country, there remains the fact that war is not easy. Veterans’ scars come from many sources, as Wasson describes it.

“The only [American] war where returning troops were not honored was Vietnam,” he said. “For those of us who were called to duty, either drafted or enlisted, the pain of being spit on, disrespected, and called ‘baby killers’ still lingers and has as much to do with PTSD as actual combat.”

 Asked why he chose to enlist, Wasson said, “I joined because I had no idea what I wanted to do after high school and felt that the Army would help me grow in ways college would not. Plus, there was the G.I. Bill, so I knew that once I got out I could go to college, go to school if I wanted to.”

Veterans are truly a group to be appreciated. As we take this day to honor them and also to remember the fallen, let us not forget that this is “the land of the free” because of the brave.