Harry Wedewer, who is a retired U.S. Navy Commander, says that when he researched his father’s WWII combat experience and his recovery from grievous wounds it gave him a whole new perspective. Wedewer hopes his father’s story will resonate on this solemn occasion:
It’s been said that our nation’s military is detached from the citizenry it serves. This is not something I previously thought about, although I am a second-generation veteran, and my son and a nephew are currently on active duty. But researching my father’s World War II combat experience and his subsequent recovery from grievous wounds — he is a double amputee and blind — has given me a different perspective.
If my father’s experience is any guide, a veteran’s life is one that embodies unifying, uniquely American themes.
So in addition to a day of remembrance, Veterans Day can also be a celebration of at least six themes that unite us with our military and, more broadly, with our families and fellow citizens — themes I discovered while researching my father’s story and that I hope resonate on this solemn occasion.