Kadena servicemembers commemorate Veterans Day

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Bryan Bouchard
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  As the notes of Taps played, hundreds of servicemembers from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan stood silent, waiting for that final tone and for the command of "dismissed" to be ordered.

This sequence closed the 2010 Veteran's Day remembrance ceremony at the base flag pole in front of 18th Wing headquarters Nov. 11.

"This day honors all American veterans, both living and dead," said retired Master Chief Petty Officer Terry Woodcock, one of the event's two guest speakers. "We thank the living veterans for their dedicated and loyal service to their country."

Also speaking to the crowd and formation of Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps personnel was Mr. Terry Yonkers, the Air Force's Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics.

"It's a humbling experience for me to be here today," he said. "Courage, character, commitment and compassion; these are the attributes I believe we honor, when we honor our veterans."

The ceremony started with a formation of Air Force special operators from the 320th Special Tactics Squadron delivering the American flag. After reveille and the singing of the Japanese and American national anthems, a representative from each of the four branches recited their service's creed. Before the guest speakers started, the Kadena Air Force Junior ROTC drill team performed.

The event only lasted about an hour, but for the large crowd in attendance, it represented the one day a year that is dedicated to them.

"Today, we have more than 500 Kadena Airmen deployed to other parts of the world fighting an enemy that is focused on killing innocents and Americans," said Brig. Gen. Ken Wilsbach, 18th Wing commander and the presiding official for the ceremony."

The general went on to thank the servicemembers in attendance for their sacrifice and dedication. He also made sure to note the others in the audience who sacrifice alongside their veterans.

"I also want to thank the families," he said. "There are many families here whose loved ones are deployed. Let's take care of the families who are here while their husbands or wives are deployed. I want you all to know that we are all family while we're overseas, and as veterans it is important that we take care of each other."

President Woodrow Wilson first commemorated Nov. 11 as Armistice Day in 1919 to honor the veterans of WWI. The day was changed to Veterans Day in 1954 by President Dwight Eisenhower, to honor all veterans from all conflicts.