Recently, I had the honor of attending Veterans Day celebrations at three local schools: Westside Elementary with my daughter, Savannah; Hahira Middle with my son, Parker, and daughter, Reagan; and Valwood with family friend, Lawson Smith. Each school conducted its own unique program, yet the message was the same at all three: “Thank you, America’s Veterans!” From whence the patriotic spirit springs, I can hardly say. I do know that, from personal experience, and from speaking with many fellow servicemembers throughout the years, the decision to serve in America’s armed forces is deeply personal. To sign on the dotted line, to don a uniform and leave one’s familiar surroundings behind, and to willingly place oneself in harm’s way in defense of a nation and its people is among the highest callings an American citizen can undertake. As a child, I was fascinated by my father’s US Army service in the South Pacific during World War 2. He was a quiet man and, not one to draw attention to himself, seldom spoke of the war. He simply did his duty, came home, and put the war behind him. It wasn’t until many years later, while serving in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan and witnessing firsthand soldiers’ bodies broken and lives lost that I came to understand why he chose to put away the memories. For a veteran, putting away such memories is often a matter of emotional survival. However, for a nation, putting away such memories could spell its eventual doom. The price of America’s freedom has been high, paid in the blood of hundreds of thousands of servicemembers since its founding. From the hills at Lexington and Concord to the fields at Gettysburg and Bull Run, from the forests of Belleau Wood and Chateau-Thierry to the beaches of Normandy and Guadalcanal, from Heartbreak Ridge and Pork Chop Hill to Ia Drang and Khe Sanh, and from Desert Storm to the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the anguished cries of America’s fallen heroes echo across the ages. They must not be forgotten. As I watched elementary students waving American flags and listened to their cheers while I circled the parade ground at Westside, as I listened to faculty and school board members pay tribute to America’s veterans at Hahira Middle, and as I listened to middle schoolers at Valwood sing patriotic songs, I was moved by a sense of hope and confidence that the lessons of freedom will be passed on to the next generation of Americans. Therefore, to all the administrators, faculty, staff, school board members and, especially to the students, who took the time to thank America’s veterans, I say in return, thank you, and I salute you! Spencer Price, MD, MBA, MPH, MPS Colonel, Medical Corps, Flight Surgeon 20th Special Forces Group, ALARNG.
https://valdostadailytimes.com/2025/11/24/spencer-price-thanks-to-local-schools-for-thanking-veterans/