A large crowd of veterans and their loved ones gathered at Woodland Park in Portage on Thursday, November 11, to celebrate Veteran’s Day and honor those who have served and are currently serving our country.
“I really appreciate the participation that went into this so people don't forget their veterans,” said Rudy Miller, post commander of American Legion Post 260 in Portage. “I love gatherings like this because of what it means to our veterans. I'd say there's somewhere between three and four million veterans in the United States, and we always need help. So that's basically what we’re here for today, to keep the attention on all the veterans.”
Chuck Moseley, state representative for the 10th District in Porter County, was also in attendance. As a former member of the National Guard, he is working to ensure veterans in the county are well represented and taken care of. He currently serves on the Veterans Affairs Committee for the Indiana House of Representatives.
“I went into the National Guard back in 1971, so I've been a veteran for a while. I serve on the Veterans Affairs Committee for the Indiana House of Representatives, so I'm always involved in a lot of veterans issues, and I've been serving on that committee for 12 years,” Moseley said.
Moseley is passionate about making sure veterans have access to quality mental health treatment to help them process and work through issues that arise from their time in the military.
“Justice, to me, means good, quality health care. I want to ensure that there's financial autonomy from our state and from our nation for veterans to receive the cognitive mental health care that they need,” Moseley said.
In his speech, Moseley also showed his appreciation for the American Legion and all they do to help veterans from all walks of life.
“I appreciate and I'm honored by the work of the Sons of the American Legion,” Moseley said. “They carry on the legacy of our fallen soldiers. They take the duty, the honor, the country that we made and they're continuing to carry that forward with the mission of ensuring that future generations won't forget us. They are so important and vital to the mission of intelligence organizations in this country.”
Portage Mayor Sue Lynch also came to show her appreciation for veterans. Lynch comes from a family of multiple veterans, dating back to her great great grandfather, who was a colonel in the Scottish Army.
“I was taught to respect our veterans and I very seldom pass a veteran without shaking his hand, even if he's a stranger to me, and thanking him for his service,” Mayor Lynch said. “So thank you veterans for everything you do for us. You're always in our hearts and in our prayers.”
Cindy Lopez, a fellow attendee with family members who have served, was touched by the ceremony and believes events like this should happen more often.
“I think it's something that we should always do to keep the memory of our veterans alive because of their sacrifice and what they did for us. It was a very emotional service. I just think it is an amazing thing and that we need to continue to support them,” she said.
Marine Corps and Army veteran Eric Ringer was also impressed by the service. He said this was a great way to help veterans connect, especially so far away from a major military post.
“I thought today's service was amazing,” Ringer said. “It's definitely welcome. As a veteran myself, I enjoy coming here and seeing other veterans from past and present today. It's a great way to honor everyone that served not just veterans from our past, but those who served today. I think this type of service is just an amazing event to have and for our community to recognize our veterans because we don't live near any military posts where services are just every other week. Being away from a military post, a lot of people don't realize how many veterans are in their community. So having something like this is really nice to see.”
The event also highlighted the ways veterans can reach out for help and ways loved ones can help show their support for the veterans in their lives.
“For every person that knows a vet, and for every vet that knows another vet, today, tomorrow, next week, six months from now, make a phone call,” Miller said. “You got a service buddy you haven't talked to for a long time, call them. Call them to let them know someone’s still thinking about them.”
The American Legion was also mentioned as a place all veterans can turn to for assistance in any matter regarding their time served.
It’s working to help all veterans and their loved ones in all aspects, especially through emotional support. They want to remind veterans their service matters and offer assistance and friendship to those looking for their voices to be heard.
The legion also highly encourages veterans to seek help when they need it. Its end goal is to remove the stigma for veterans that’s associated with asking for help with conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and others. It also aims to help veterans with things such as finding a job or dealing with adversaries that appear in the workplace.
Veterans needing immediate assistance are encouraged to call the Veterans Crisis Hotline at 800-273-8255, extension 1. For those looking for long-term support, their local American Legion Chapter offers numerous resources to share their story, connect with other veterans, and have that extra support when dealing with any challenging time, which can easily make all the difference in their lives.
For more information on the city of Portage, visit https://www.portagein.gov/.
For more information on the American Legion, visit https://www.legion.org.
The Portage.Life and GreatNews.Life team also thanks our veterans for their service. We appreciate all you’ve done for our country, and it wouldn’t be what it is today without your bravery and passion for building a better tomorrow for the United States of America.
