Remembering Veterans' service, both in and out of uniform

It continues in many ways, and it’s important on Veterans Day to recognize and honor that service as well as their service in uniform, said Ty Letto, state commander for the Wisconsin Veterans of Foreign Wars.

“Veterans represent the best of America: courage, sacrifice and an unshakeable sense of duty. When they return home, they continue to embody those same values. They build communities, mentor youth, serve in public offices and volunteer their time to make life better for others,” said Letto, keynote speaker during the Milwaukee VA’s Veterans Day program Monday in the medical center’s Unity Chapel. 

“That’s the legacy of our Veterans; a legacy not of service in uniform only, but of lifelong commitment to our nation and its people.”

Watch the video from the Milwaukee VA Medical Center's Veterans Day program.

Letto noted that Veterans are intertwined with our communities, serving as teachers, working with local organizations, volunteering their time and working in hospitals, where they are “still serving and giving back.”

Letto urged everyone to live up to their example by doing what they can to support Veterans, their families and all who “carry the burdens of deployment and sacrifice quietly at home.”

“While we can never fully repay what our Veterans have given us, we can honor them through our actions — by caring for them, by listening to them and by upholding the freedoms they fought to protect.”

Honoring Veterans' sacrifices

Letto lauded his fellow Veterans for the sacrifices they have made for their country. He said that in his 21 years of service in the U.S. Army, the Army Reserves and the National Guard, he has seen and experienced joyous things, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

But he also experienced the “horror of war” while serving in Iraq, witnessing the “brutality and atrocities that human beings can inflict on each other.”

“I’ve seen things that cannot be unseen. I will carry them as a burden on servant leadership for the rest of my life. And yet, even with all that … I would do it all again if called upon by my country.”

He praised the resilience of Veterans who will carry forever similar scars — some visible, some invisible.

“That’s why it’s so important that we as a community continue to support our Veterans through understanding, through outreach and through ensuring they receive the medical care and respect they deserve.

“Everyone has a role to play, whether it’s listening to the Veterans’ stories, lending a hand or simply offering gratitude. These acts of kindness help and heal in ways that medicine alone cannot.

“So on this Veterans Day, let us renew our promise to remember, to serve and to never take freedom for granted. … May we always remain a nation worthy of (Veterans’) sacrifices.”

Veterans' remarkable resilience

Monday’s program also included remarks from Milwaukee VA Medical Center Executive Director Jim McLain, who remembered days long ago when he would meet with a group of World War II Army Air Corps Veterans who endured the horrors of being prisoners of war.

“I was truly in awe of their extraordinary resilience,” he said, remembering their stories of forced marches and other atrocities POWs experienced. “I was incredibly fortunate to be in the presence of individuals who had gone so far above and beyond in their service to our country.”

Those meetings eventually ended, but McLain said they remind him of the importance of Veterans Day.

“This is a time when our nation comes together to honor our Veterans,” he said, choking back tears. “Please join me in remembering those who served our country with distinction, and let us never forget their sacrifices. Those were truly wonderful men, just as all of you represent the best of our country through your service as Veterans.”

The event included patriotic music provided by the Milwaukee American Legion Band, including a “God Bless America” singalong and ending with “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

Afterward, Veterans in attendance were treated to a luncheon reception.