Winslow honors Vets at Grace Care Center
On Nov. 11, Veteran’s Day celebrations came in many forms and occurred in many places throughout Olney. It is easy for some of us to remember the veterans we see daily or those who are on active duty. However, we often forget about the veterans who are out of sight, such as the ones who are tucked away at Grace Care Center (GCC) in Olney. Dr. Mike Winslow—a retired Colonel staying connected via the Air Force Association and his wife Judi—also an 11-year Air Force veteran--did not forget those veterans. The Winslows spent time sharing memories and MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) with the GCC vets.
The GCC veterans present that day included Ralph Honey (Army), Clyde Turner (Air Force), Clifford Clark ((Army, Air Force and Navy), Anita Garcia (Army) Frank Butler (National Guard), Gary Snody (Army). Clifford Clark was the first to talk about his roles in the Army, Air Force and Navy. The other veterans followed suit. One thing that was evident as we listened to the exchanges was the unselfish sacrifices these men and women made to protect our freedoms.
Dr. Winslow pointed out relevant data that shows how special veterans are. “The number of veterans in the U.S. is around 9% of the total population that served their country. This makes us special that we took the initiative to serve. Some did not take the initiative, the initiative was handed to them in the form of a draft notice, but we still served,” Dr. Winslow said. “World War II veterans are a dying breed. Approximately 1.2% of the population are Korean War veterans. The Vietnam War has 7.25% of the population, and I am a Vietnam War veteran. The Gulf War has 7.03% of the population, and there are 5.5% of peacetime vets. The idea that you would make the sacrifice for your country is good. It makes me proud.”
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. population of veterans is declining, and a 40% decrease is anticipated by the year 2045. In light of this declining population, it is even more important to honor our veterans and not just on Veterans Day.
If the declining numbers don’t move you, perhaps their stories will. Stories like the one Gary Snody shared. “We just got shot down in South Vietnam. We had two gunships, one to the right and one to the left spraying the area, but they still shot us down. I jumped out when were about 20 or 25 feet in the air. I pulled out my bag and tried to land on it, but I missed it and hit the ground on my knee and got arthritis really bad,” Snody said. Despite his suffering, he said he probably would not have had the opportunity to see the things he’d seen without the army. That is service in one of the sincerest forms of gratitude, which is what you can expect with conversing with many veterans who are honored to have served.
Dr. Winslow said, “My time in the military wasn’t all fun, but time filters out most of the bad memories and leaves me with the good stuff that will last forever and stories that I can pass on to my grandkids. I hope all of you have meaningful memories of your service.”
“After being in the military for several years, and you find somebody else who served, you have something in common. We are all family,” Judi Winslow said.
I believe that we should share the sentiment of family that many veterans share. Family sacrifices their lives for us. Family shares a universal love—in this case, love of country and family protects. Although I am not a veteran, I consider the sacrifice, love and protection I am afforded by our veterans gives me the right to call them family, too.
Thank you for your service.