Last week, we asked you to send us the names of veterans who you'd like to honor today, on Veterans Day. You responded with your stories and the stories of your loved ones, and we're proud to be able to publish them here.
Thank you all for taking the time to send these in, and thank you to our service people who have given so much to our country.
READER MESSAGES
To her father, who served in World War II and was honorably discharged in 1945, Merri Huang has this message:
"Thank you, Daddy (T.C.H.), for your service. By joining the Army - the CHINESE army - after finishing your veterinary degree, you paved the way for your daughters to be born in the U.S. Because of your love of freedom, you were 'lent' to the U.S. Army, where you served loyally until the end of WWII. And the U.S., in gratitude, helped you obtain a student visa to complete your post-grad studies in the U.S. Your love for America became your legacy. I miss you everyday - especially on Veterans Day - because it was 'your' day."
To Karl Naylor, who served in Korea and is "going to be 90 in 2020!," Christoper Glen sends this message:
"Thank you for your service to our country. And thank you for giving me life. Love you, Dad!"
To his late father, who served in World War II, Sam Coleman sends this message:
"My late father was a B26 pilot in World War II who flew over 50 missions from North Africa, and his plane survived heavy flak on several. He earned the Air Medal. He told me he fought that war so I wouldn't have to. Too bad politicians weren't listening. (I myself did alternate service during the Vietnam War, two years and four months as a VA Hospital surgical orderly and OR assistant.)"
To the late Elmer W. Suorez, the late Walter F. Kelley and Aaron Sheldon, Emily Kelley Kunin sends this message:
"I'd like to thank my late great-grandfather, Elmer W. Suorez, my late grandfather, Walter F. Kelley, and my good friend Aaron Sheldon for their service to our country. My great-grandfather Elmer enlisted in the Army Air Corp in 1943 and served as a co-pilot for a B24 bomber in the Pacific during WWII. My grandfather Walter served in an Army Ordinance Disposal Unit in Germany during the Korean War. He also spent at least 15 years in the Army Reserve. My friend Aaron has served as a Navy Aviator since 2013. He has been a submarine hunter helicopter pilot and is currently serving as a Flight Instructor."
To his uncle, Roger Dumas, Bill Dumas sends this message:
"We are still looking for you! We know you were alive and left behind in POW Camp #5 on the last day American POWs were released in North Korea in 1953. Your brother, Bob, who served two tours in the Korean War continues to this day to keep looking for you bolstered by his successful Federal lawsuit that determined you survived the war but were not returned. The North Korean ambassadors to the UN Mission have given us hope over the years that you are alive. I hope you have seen my award-winning documentary film dedicated to you: Missing, Presumed Dead: The Search for America's POWs."
To many of his family members, Retired Senior Master Sergeant Michael Gleason of the U.S. Air Force sends his thanks:
"My late father, a WWII radioman on a B-17; my late uncle, a Candian Army Infantry Officer who stormed Juno beach on D-Day; my wife, a retired AF Administrator; my daughter, a retired AF Operations Specialist; and my son, an Army Guard UH-60 Blackhawk pilot. Collectively, they have served in WWII, the Cold War, Operations Desert Storm/Desert Shield, and everything since then. The only one still 'active' is my son."
To his father, who served in World War II, Bryan Wing sends this message:
"Hi Dad! Thanks for serving aboard the USS Grafton in WW2. You are our hero!"
To his grandfather, Will Ivory, who served in the mid-1960s, Dontae Ivory has this message:
"Thanks for your service in the Vietnam War and everything you did during your time in the military in South Dakota and Sacramento. Your bravery and dedication is valuable and everything you stood for during the 1994 prop 187 employee strikes is commendable."
To Sadrash Gonzalez, who is still active, Sandra Lopez sends this message:
"I am very proud of you, thank you for service for protecting our country."
To Billiekai Boughton, who served from 1989-1992, Solomon Boughton sends his thanks.
To Dan Sajtar, who served from 1979 to 2000 in the Marines, Francesca Amari sends her thanks.
To her dad, Jim Wright, who served in Vietnam and was honorably discharged, Carole Ann Wright sends her thanks.
To every veteran, past and present, Darell Lewis sends his thanks.
