BOISE, Idaho — This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
About a hundred veterans and their families huddled together by the Rock of Honor that stands in Kleiner Park in celebration of Veterans Day on Friday.
"Today, we are here to honor those that have served our country and given their lives so that we may stand here and still live in freedom,” Dan Pruett, Chaplain AL Post 113, said during the event's opening prayer. “Those who have gone created a clear path for us to continue on. We must never waver from the path of freedom and democracy."
Despite the cold weather, several people wrapped in coats and earmuffs spoke about veterans past, present and future.
Tammy Clement, VFW Post 4000, honored John Burns, who co-created the Rock of Honor. Burns served in the Navy during World War II from 1944-1946 and moved to Meridian in 2004.
"The Rock of Honor is the brainchild of John, who found no memorials for fallen veterans in Meridian," Clement said. "He wrote an article in his column called One Vet's View for the local newspaper, The Valley Times. He collaborated with the American Legion and formed a joint committee. The article was noticed by Mayor Tammy de Weerd and she helped coordinate this site."
Burns died in the summer of 2022.
"He lived a long and fulfilling life and was honored for his community service with both the Meridian Mayor's Legacy Award and the Governor's Idaho's Brightest Star award," Clement said. "John will be deeply missed."
Meridian Mayor Robert Simison thanked all veterans and their families for their service.
"We all owe you a great debt of gratitude for where we are as a country today," Simison said. “I don't recall what happened in Meridian before this was built and how we honored our veterans. We created a lasting legacy in this location where we can always gather on Veterans Day and other days to recognize our veterans — those living, those who've passed on.”
There are 116,000 veterans in Idaho, Simison said, and 66 veterans work in Meridian, comprising 12.5% of Meridian's employees.
“Ultimately, our veterans that kept our country safe and protected our freedoms in times of peace and in times of war,” Simison said. “As a community it's important that we come together and understand the heroic efforts of all those who served.”
Many veterans face difficulties after returning home.
“Although we came home, some of these individuals are still fighting the war," Charles "Abe" Abrahamson, who works with the American Legion Department of Idaho Adjutant, said. "Some people carry a lot of demons with them in their hearts and their minds. And when they sleep at night, they face very terrifying night terrors for their service to this great country.”
The American Legion recently started a new program called "Be the One," to help veterans who struggle with suicidal thoughts. In Idaho, the legion has elevated the program to deploy three-person teams to respond to 911 veteran suicide phone calls or messages, Abrahamson said. In Idaho, 280 people are trained for these responses.
“We offer this training to all veterans. Anybody can attend the training," Abrahamson said. “This is our 19th month, and I can tell you we have 16 individuals that responded to either 911 phone calls or texts with law enforcement officers, and got that veteran the help that they needed. They're still here with us today."
Herold Alan Carlson is a veteran who works with American Legion in District 3. Carlson served in the Navy, Army and Air Force and sees Veterans Day as something everyone can and should celebrate.
“They are as much a part of us as we are when we serve them. That’s the whole thing. We help each other," Carlson said. "They get up and go to work and keep this country going — that’s what we do, it’s just in a different field.”
Standing in the cold November air every Veterans Day is a chance to thank all the veterans who came before him, Carlson said.
“It is super important to have this event because it recognizes all veterans, past, present and future,” Clement said. “We all gave up something to be in the military. We gave up our families because we left them behind, some of us gave up our education, some of us gave up our freedoms."
If a veteran you know is struggling, call the American Legion Meridian Post at 208-202-5737 or call the Idaho Suicide Hotline at 988.
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press, read more on IdahoPress.com.
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