Veteran’s Day is a time to appreciate all the military personnel for all the hard work, commitment and sacrifices that they put in to keeping this country safe. Everyone should take time to thank a veteran, as well as their families, for the sacrifices that they made or are still making, no matter the day. Veteran’s Day isn’t just for those who have served; it is also for those who are currently serving. On Monday, Nov. 12, Blackburn held a convocation to thank the veterans.
The Veteran’s Day Convocation was held at 11 a.m. in Clegg Chapel. The chorus sung a beautiful performance of “The National Anthem” as well as “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” Dr. Joseph Welch played a wonderful arrangement of “Salute to the Troops” which consisted of the Air Force, Marines, Navy, Army and Coast Guard salutes.
The guest speaker at the event was Command Sergeant Major John Burns. Burns served in the Illinois National Guard for 33 years, from 1984 to 2017. He is currently a history teacher at Gillespie High School. Since 9/11, he has been deployed three times, to Germany in 2002, to Iraq in 2005 and to Kuwait as Chicago’s 108th Brigade Command Sergeant Major in 2014 supporting Operation Enduring Freedom during the rise of ISIS. He also served overseas in Republic of Philippines, Aruba and Bulgaria during peacetime.
Burns began his speech with some humor. “I am not an imposter. After 33 years of short hair, I decided to let it grow out a bit,” he said, as his picture on the brochure was much different than what he looks like now. Burns stated that this was a special event because it happened to be the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. It was even more special because the convocation started at 11 a.m., which was the end of World War I. “It ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month,” he stated. Burns concluded his speech with numbers of military personnel as of last year. There are over 21 million veterans, as a whole, in our country; that is almost 7% of the population. In the Army: over 9 million; Navy: over 4 million; Air Force: 3.5 million; Marines: 2.5 million; Reserves and National Guard: 1.1 million. In Illinois alone, there are 725 thousand, 54 thousand being female. In Macoupin County, approximate population is 445 thousand, there are over 44 thousand veterans which makes up almost 10% of the county’s population. These numbers are outstanding, as they show the amount of sacrifices that people are willing to make for the country they love.“These veterans are special individuals. They selflessly serve their country. They took an oath. To carry [the] oath out, veterans make any sacrifice they need while they are serving,” said Burns.
Burns left the stage saying to not only thank a veteran, but also their families. They give and put out so much so that we can live free and safe. “Sacrifice isn’t carried by just the veteran. It is also carried out by their families.” So, next time you see a veteran, thank them as well as their families for everything they have done.