Ocean City’s Veterans Day reminder of the sacrifice of military families
OCEAN CITY — Think not only of the nation’s veterans and service members, but also of the families who support them.
That message was voiced by different speakers on a rainy Friday morning inside the Ocean City Tabernacle auditorium, where servicemembers from different generations gathered for Veterans Day ceremonies along with family and community members.
The speeches and prayers were first and foremost for those who have served, those who continue to serve and those who died in service to their country, but the speakers issued a poignant reminder of those who remain on the home front.
There is no greater love than a man or a woman who will lay down their lives for a friend, or in this case, this country. We salute all of those who have volunteered now and are serving throughout the world, Ed Ferraro, chaplain of Ocean City VFW Post 6650, said in his invocation.
After reading a poem about Veterans Day, Mayor Jay Gillian talked about those from every generation in Ocean City who answered the call to serve.
He mentioned Doie Barnes, who served in the U.S. Marines in the latter years of World War II and was honored by the city on her 100th birthday. She died last summer at the age of 101. She would pay tribute to her fellow veterans throughout her time in Ocean City, setting a good example to follow, Gillian said.
He mentioned one of the newest members of the military, Jenevieva Mulhall, a sophomore at the U.S. Naval Academy and on her way to becoming a Navy officer.
The mayor also listed the Dahl family as another great example of service, from father Lt. Col. Thomas Dahl who has been deployed overseas with the 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard, but also Dahl’s sons, Jeff and Charles, who returned from service in Afghanistan last year.
“All of us have a role to play in supporting those who served. Veterans are not alone and they will always deserve our full support,” Gillian said.
He acknowledged all the families who shouldered the burdens of war, the mothers and fathers, the spouses, the children.
“Your love, support, resilience are the backbone of this nation and they must never be forgotten.”
Bob Marzulli, commander of American Legion Post 524 in Ocean City, gave a brief history of Veterans Day, how it began as Armistice Day, a holiday to honor the end of World War I, but after World War II and Korea was renamed Veterans Day to honor American veterans of all wars, those who continue to serve and those who died in service to the country.
Veterans Day, he said, serves a very important purpose.
“It is the day we recognize not just those who have given their lives in war, but all those who have worn the uniforms of service. This day, above all, is an opportunity to celebrate the choice one makes to serve their country,” Marzulli said.
For some it means the worldwide conflict of World War II or a lifetime of peacekeeping missions or the tense standoff of the Cold War, for others in the jungles of Vietnam or in Korea or Panama or the other conflicts in which the military has been asked to serve over the years.
He included the many servicemembers who did multiple tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, those on active duty and the reservists who sacrificed twice, giving up their civilian jobs to serve their country.
Noting roughly 1 percent of the population serves in the military, he cited Winston Churchill about the impact veterans have had protecting freedom and democracy: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
Pat Cummings, senior vice commander of the legion post who offered the benediction, asked the audience to pray for veterans and their families. Especially pray for veterans struggling to adjust to civilian life after multiple deployments overseas, he added, because they are suffering from depression, homelessness and suicide.
Before the benediction, Marzulli asked people to take the time to honor servicemembers past and present. He offered three ways.
— Volunteer to help a veteran or service member.
“We have many wonderful veterans who need compassion and support,” he said. “Find a way to help them whether through the Veterans Affairs office or state and local government outreach programs. For those on deployment, knowing their families are receiving support can bring reassurance and peace of mind. There are dozens of ways you can show your support to our nation’s heroes.”
— Promote military service for today’s youth.
“We need to do a better job of letting our younger generation know that the military is a viable and valuable career option with unlimited opportunities,” Marzulli said.
— Be loud and proud.
“Let everyone know what you’ve done,” he said.
He told those who have not served to find someone in their life and ask them about their service or simply thank them.
“The more we talk about what we do and the impact military service has on our lives, the better able we are to hold it up as an example of excellence,” Marzulli said.
Take the examples of service and sacrifice and use them now and in the years to come, he said, to celebrate service to this nation, to show appreciation to the military and to inspire future generations to dedicate themselves in the names of the many who have come before them.
Natalie Argento sang the national anthem and “God Bless America.”
Jeff Valentine of VFW Post 6650 and Bob Buker of the American Legion post presented the wreath. George Meyers of the VFW post led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance, and presenting the flags of service during the Armed Forces Medley were Paul Towhey, Army; Paul Banfe, Navy; Clark Manley, Marines; Larry Kelly, Coast Guard; and Brian Day, Air Force.
Michael Allegretto, aide to the mayor, offered the welcome.
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff