On May 29, our country celebrated Memorial Day. For different families across the country, that day held a different significance. For me, that last Monday in May always brings me back to May of 1967, the month I became an airman in the U.S. Air Force.
Coming from Buena Vista Township, joining the Air Force was both exciting and nerve-wracking. People always ask me why I chose to enlist during a time when our country was at war. My answer has always been because I believed it was the right thing to do.
We owe so much to our veterans. Just getting them home safely is not enough. We need to make sure that these men and women are educated on the financial and medical services that are available to them. And we need to do what we can to remove the barriers that stand between them and these services.
As chairman of the Buena Vista Township Veterans Committee, I’ve had the privilege to serve our veteran community here in Buena Vista. Every day I work to make sure our veterans have access to the benefits they deserve. Recently, a resident came to our committee to ask if we could help her obtain her late husband’s medals. She had been trying for years but to no avail. With the help of our congressman, we got the job done. When she invited me over to see the medals, I was so gratified to see the Purple Heart that she could now share proudly with his friends and family.
Our veterans, our fallen soldiers and their families deserve our respect and commitment. In Buena Vista, our committee took on the task of getting a proper memorial stone at Township Hall that listed all the names of our neighbors who had given the ultimate sacrifice for their country. But we must do more than just memorialize. Too many veterans don’t know what services they have available to them or how to access the ones they’re aware of. For those who have already sacrificed so much to serve our country, that’s unacceptable. To be able to make their lives easier or solve challenges they might be facing, are tasks I feel honored to take on.
Our men and women in the military made the choice to risk their lives so that we could continue to enjoy our lives back home. On Memorial Day, let’s remember those who made the greatest sacrifice and let’s recommit our efforts to serve those who have come home.
John Armato
Buena Vista