GUSSE: Thanks, cellphones help vets

“Thank you” are two simple words that go a long way.

I participated and celebrated Veterans Day 2013 at various events this year. My employer (the Maricopa Community Colleges) held its first veteran celebration at our district office in Tempe; Ak-Chin invited local vets to their event at the Antone Memorial Park; and Maricopa’s Legacy Traditional held their Fifth annual celebration with a bicycle parade and pancake breakfast.

Once a year we celebrate Veterans Day and focus on honoring and thanking all those who served. At one of the events the guest speaker, a Vietnam veteran, indicated that it was “a great time to be a veteran.” He mentioned that in recent years he has been thanked for his service more so than the first 35 years after returning from Vietnam. He was reflecting on the fact that veterans were not thanked nor appreciated, but this is no longer the case.

Many of our vets have indicated those two simple words have helped them in the healing process and given them a sense their sacrifice was appreciated. As a way of giving thanks to our veterans, through the years I have been working to assist my comrades in anyway possible – access to services, employment, health care, education, shelter and many necessities we take for granted. The act of giving thanks or “Thanksgiving” comes around once a year (as does Veterans Day) but if you see or can identify a veteran, share those two simple words with them.

This Thanksgiving many of us will get together with friends and family to enjoy a great meal, watch some football games and possibly do some mad crazy shopping. We will also give thanks for all we have been blessed with, I will be giving thanks for my great and healthy family, my good friends, my family’s ability to keep a roof over our heads and all the liberties and freedoms my country has bestowed on me and mine.

Many of our military bases throughout the world will be holding Thanksgiving dinners but those out on the field may not be able to partake, and not to mention that our men and women are away from their loved ones during this holiday season.