Our Heroes: Special multimedia report honoring our veterans
Representing every branch of the armed forces and every theater of combat, a line of veterans filed onto the basketball court Tuesday night at East Hall High School to applause from those gathered to honor them.
Air Force veteran Larry Vallad, who served in Vietnam in 1970 and 1971, said he was humbled by the experience.
“I’m proud of my nation and I’m proud of the guys that served. We’re from different branches, but we’re all part of the brotherhood,” Vallad said. “And the fact that these students here would take the time to honor us humbles me.”
“The Sound of Freedom: A Tribute to Our Veterans” was held for the first time Tuesday night at East Hall High, but it is an event that Principal Jeff Cooper said he hopes to make an annual one.
“I also would like to say ‘thank you,’ not only to the ones who attended tonight, but for your service ... It is the East Hall way to show tribute to our veterans,” he said.
The event featured performances by the East Hall High concert band, wind symphony and concert choir and featured the Naval Junior ROTC students. State Rep. Carl Rogers, whose son Carlton Rogers has served two tours in Iraq, was the night’s guest speaker.
Cookie Salinas, who served with the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, said he thinks it is important for veterans to visit schools. A full week of events leading up to Veterans Day kept he and other veterans going from school to school.
“I think the kids need to know, first of all, that there’s good career opportunities in the military, that it’s not just all going to war and shooting guns and killing people,” Salinas said. “I think they need to know that the American soldier or American veterans are just like their mom and dad, ... we happened to serve and maybe their mom or dad didn’t. We’re bakers and candlestick makers and all of that stuff. They just need to know that we’re normal people. We put our pants on one leg at a time, and we’re not G.I. Joe or some Transformer.”
Rudy Guerrero also served with the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and was involved in the evacuation of Saigon. He said pride brought him out to Tuesday night’s event.
“Well, as a veteran, it’s the pride of being an American and being able to serve in the armed forces of the United States and be proud of the United States and what we have done for all the armed forces throughout the generations.”
Gerald Blaney served in the Marine Corps during World War II, getting to meet President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and other notables of the era. He lamented the loss of World War II veterans, what has been called “The Greatest Generation.”
“Out of my group, we started out with 54 and there is one other and myself left,” Blaney said.
James Gilmer, an East Hall High graduate and Army veteran, noted that a funeral was held on Tuesday for one of the Gainesville area men activated with him to serve in Vietnam.
“When I went in in ’66, there was approximately 32 guys from here in Gainesville that went in and stayed all the way through together,” Gilmer said. “They had just activated the (Army’s) 9th Division and so we all were very fortunate — we lost one guy out of the 32. Quite a few of us got injured, but we’re here.”
Gilmer said he is proud today of his job with the Georgia Department of Labor, finding jobs for veterans.
Air Force veteran Larry Vallad, who served in Vietnam in 1970 and 1971, said he was humbled by the experience.
“I’m proud of my nation and I’m proud of the guys that served. We’re from different branches, but we’re all part of the brotherhood,” Vallad said. “And the fact that these students here would take the time to honor us humbles me.”
“The Sound of Freedom: A Tribute to Our Veterans” was held for the first time Tuesday night at East Hall High, but it is an event that Principal Jeff Cooper said he hopes to make an annual one.
“I also would like to say ‘thank you,’ not only to the ones who attended tonight, but for your service ... It is the East Hall way to show tribute to our veterans,” he said.
The event featured performances by the East Hall High concert band, wind symphony and concert choir and featured the Naval Junior ROTC students. State Rep. Carl Rogers, whose son Carlton Rogers has served two tours in Iraq, was the night’s guest speaker.
Cookie Salinas, who served with the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, said he thinks it is important for veterans to visit schools. A full week of events leading up to Veterans Day kept he and other veterans going from school to school.
“I think the kids need to know, first of all, that there’s good career opportunities in the military, that it’s not just all going to war and shooting guns and killing people,” Salinas said. “I think they need to know that the American soldier or American veterans are just like their mom and dad, ... we happened to serve and maybe their mom or dad didn’t. We’re bakers and candlestick makers and all of that stuff. They just need to know that we’re normal people. We put our pants on one leg at a time, and we’re not G.I. Joe or some Transformer.”
Rudy Guerrero also served with the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and was involved in the evacuation of Saigon. He said pride brought him out to Tuesday night’s event.
“Well, as a veteran, it’s the pride of being an American and being able to serve in the armed forces of the United States and be proud of the United States and what we have done for all the armed forces throughout the generations.”
Gerald Blaney served in the Marine Corps during World War II, getting to meet President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and other notables of the era. He lamented the loss of World War II veterans, what has been called “The Greatest Generation.”
“Out of my group, we started out with 54 and there is one other and myself left,” Blaney said.
James Gilmer, an East Hall High graduate and Army veteran, noted that a funeral was held on Tuesday for one of the Gainesville area men activated with him to serve in Vietnam.
“When I went in in ’66, there was approximately 32 guys from here in Gainesville that went in and stayed all the way through together,” Gilmer said. “They had just activated the (Army’s) 9th Division and so we all were very fortunate — we lost one guy out of the 32. Quite a few of us got injured, but we’re here.”
Gilmer said he is proud today of his job with the Georgia Department of Labor, finding jobs for veterans.