Last week, I was honored to report on an incredible Patriot’s Day event held at The Palmer House. The “half-hour” assignment turned into an entire day, as there was a certain energy and reverence that kept my wife and I and our friends in attendance for quite some time.  

Part of the program was an effort to raise funds for preventing Veteran suicides. When a United States Veteran dies by suicide, it is a tragedy for not only the service member’s family and loved ones, but also the soldiers with whom they served. It’s an issue that deserves attention from everyday citizens, as well as the many politicians who boldly announce that they “support our troops.” As a society, we shouldn’t need fundraisers to scrape together enough money to prevent these tragedies. Whether it be local, county or state government, much more can be done to “support our troops” - past, present and future.

The day’s activities allowed me to reflect upon many things, including my familial experience with Veterans.

I remember one year when a local politician was busy “greeting” residents at the Memorial Day service at the Becker cemetery, an event I’ve attended pretty much every year since I was old enough to remember. I had never seen this person there before, and since that person left office I have not seen him there again.

It’s a quick event, but one that I find important in honoring those men and women - like my dad and grandfather - that served our country and are no longer with us. It’s inspiring to hear the names read each year by the Legion members and also to visit with many of the same people I see there each year.

My dad passed away in 1994 and soon after I was looking through some of his possessions when I found his Army uniform that was embossed with an Airborne patch. Up until that point, I was clueless about most of his service, as he didn’t like to talk about it. Airborne? I had no idea.

That simple uniform, however, lit a spark inside of me to learn more about his service and the history of our military and the people who have served valiantly to protect our freedoms. 

It also kindled my spirit to read books about our Armed Forces and the myriad of amazing soldiers whose exploits, honor and duty have been immortalized in print.

The amount and quality of literature related to soldiers, our Armed Forces and the history of warfare, etc. is quite amazing and provides an extraordinary chance for individuals to reflect upon those things for which we should be forever grateful.

One of the books I picked up at The Palmer House commemoration was titled Heart of A Ranger and it details the life of Ben Kopp, a decorated hero who died as a result of the injuries he sustained in Afghanistan. The story is powerful, mesmerizing and relentless - a tiny window into the many emotions experienced by not only the solders themselves, but their family and loved ones.

I had a hard time putting the book down, even though I knew how it was going to end. I laughed so hard at times that I nearly cried. At other times, I did cry. A lot.

Reading the stories of our Veterans can inspire and change our lives. It might also compel us to take action, donate to a cause or simply say “thank you” to a Veteran… or to read a book.

Heart of a Ranger was a great one. Kris Paronto also has several excellent books… or there’s one of my all-time favorites: Operation Broken Reed. It’s a look into a secret mission during the Korean War that may have prevented WWIII.  

Pick up a book. Thank a Veteran. Sponsor a bill that funds services for suicide prevention for our heroes that helped to secure our freedom. Each of us has something we can do to recognize their service to our country.