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Thursday, February 6, 2025

To Truly Understand a Military Veteran

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Above / Dedicated on Veterans Day 2006, Veterans Valor honors the heroism of five WWII military men who grew up within a few blocks of each other right here in Naperville. The sculpture depicts Army 1st Lt. Al Rubin, Platoon Commander; Army Staff Sgt. Leo Kuefler, Tank Commander; Army Air Corps Cpt. Vinnie Mazza, B-24 Pilot; Navy Lt. Bob Wehrli, Pt. Boat Commander; and Marine Corps 1st Lt. Don Darfler, Fighter Pilot. Created by artist Shirley McWorter Moss, the Century Walk sculpture is located along Washington Street at Van Buren Avenue. (PN Photo, 12/21/24)

To truly understand a military Veteran, you need to know…

We left home as teenagers or young adults, embarking on an adventure we couldn’t fully comprehend.

We loved our country so deeply that we were willing to defend it, even at the cost of our own lives.

We said goodbye to our families, friends and everything familiar, stepping into the unknown.

We mastered the basics and were then scattered across the globe, carried by the winds of duty.

We found new friends who became family.

We became brothers and sisters, united beyond color, race or creed.

We learned to adapt quickly to every situation, no matter how foreign or uncomfortable.

We pushed ourselves further than we thought possible, discovering strength we didn’t know we had.

We learned to live with what we carried, whether it was a pack on our backs or the weight in our hearts.

We spoke a language of acronyms, codes and unspoken glances that other didn’t understand.

We found humor in the darkest moments, knowing it was sometimes the only way to survive.

We trained hard because we knew our preparation could mean life or death.

We were taught to make decisions under pressure, when hesitation wasn’t an option.

We learned the value of discipline and the importance of selflessness.

We endured extreme heat, biting cold and environments that tested every part of us.

We built homes wherever we landed, no matter how temporary or improvised they were.

We were often lonely, even when surrounded by people; yet, we pressed on.

We celebrated the little things, like a care package from home or a few extra minutes of rest.

We held ourselves to standards that others might find impossible, because failure wasn’t an option.

We became a part of something bigger than ourselves, a legacy that stretched back generations.

We learned to cherish the silence between the chaos, because calm never lasted long.

We shared meals, stories and sometimes tears, bonding in ways words can’t describe.

We stood in formations under the stars, feeling both proud and humbled by our purpose.

We sacrificed time, comfort and sometimes our health, knowing the mission came first.

We learned to trust each other with everything we had, including our lives.

We carried photos, letters and mementos, reminders of whom we were fighting for.

We embraced rituals and traditions that connected us to those who came before us.

We stood guard while the world slept, often wondering if anyone noticed.

We learned to respect authority, but also questioned it when it mattered.

We saw beauty in unexpected places, even in the middle of hardship.

We adapted to constant change, knowing plans were made to be rewritten.

We carried our stories home, but not all of them could be told.

We knew that freedom had a cost, and we were willing to pay it.

We came home to parades, quiet handshakes or sometimes just silence.

We returned as different people, forever shaped by what we experienced.

We live with memories that visit us in the quiet moments, unbidden but unforgettable.

We have a pride that runs deep, not in what we earned, but in what we gave.

We know that being a Veteran isn’t just a title; it’s a lifelong brotherhood and sisterhood.

We learned that true service never really ends because the lessons and bonds stay with us forever.

—Anonymous

(Submitted by Wayne Fischer, USMC Retired)

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PN Ombudsman
PN Ombudsman
An ombudsman is Scandinavian in origin dating back to Viking times; and refers to a community representative; usually acting independently on behalf of an organization, body of elected officials, or civic group. Thanks Scandinavia for inventing ombudsman.
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