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Volunteering helps veterans continue to serve their communities

By Brett Dunlap 5 min read

PARKERSBURG - Continuing service to one's community following serving in uniform and getting out of one's "comfort zone" was the message of the keynote speaker at the Parkersburg Veterans Day Ceremony held at Parkersburg City Park.

Area veterans, veterans' groups and supporters gathered in City Park on Wednesday following a parade down Washington Avenue to honor those who have served in the United States military, in peacetime and war. Local ROTC students lined the street with American flags during the parade and stood behind the main stage with those flags during the ceremony. The area high schools marching bands from Parkersburg High School, Parkersburg South and Williamstown High School joined together to play the National Anthem and the service songs for each military branch.

Keynote speaker Jerry Smith, a veteran of the United States Army, thanked everyone who came out Wednesday to City Park to honor the veterans who have served the country and challenge those in attendance to do more.

"We need to get out of our comfort zone in order to do things," Smith said.

Smith joined the U.S. Army after graduating from Calhoun County High School in 1965 and was stationed in Fort Knox, Kentucky. In 1967, he was sent to Vietnam where he served an entire year mostly on a Navy ship fixing Chinook Helicopters. He came back and finished his time at Fort Knox. After being honorably discharged, he returned to Parkersburg and worked for DuPont for 34 years.

Upon retirement, he gave back to his community, volunteering with Hospice, starting cooperation efforts between local veteran groups. He is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1212, Disabled American Veterans Chapter 32, American Legion Post 15, Vietnam Veterans of America and the Marine Corp League Detachment 1087. He is the founder of Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans.

Smith was inspired to get involved with Hospice services which was something he wasn't sure he could do, but he has now been doing it for 15 years. He talked about the relationships he built through it, including one man who was a POW in Vietnam for 17 months. The veteran had cancer and would call him at all hours and they became like brothers for nine months.

"If you go into someone's home and get a smile on someone's face that means you were able to do what God wanted you to do," Smith said.

Getting out of one's comfort zone is taking the initiative to do something for someone else and making a difference, he said. Many veterans' groups have programs who serve the veterans who came home and need support as those people may not have anyone else in their lives.

"I challenge you today to get out of your comfort zone, come and join and see what it was like," Smith said.

He took his veteran Hospice friend to see the traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall when it was in Parkersburg and he was asked to become an Associate Member of the Marine Corps League which he has been in for around 15 years.

Smith said there are many veterans groups doing things for both veterans and civilians to make their communities a better place. There are churches who need help and other organizations that help people in the community who are always in need of volunteers.

"You need to get out of your comfort zone, get off your duff and help these organizations," Smith said. "Volunteering is the thing. Get out there and help, because they need people to be able to get things done."

He is involved with groups who visit veterans in nursing homes.

"For some of those gentlemen, we are the only people they see," Smith said. "It is a great feeling to watch them have that smile on their face because they knew we were coming.

"It is an honor to be able to do stuff like this. I challenge each one of you to do something."

The nation owes a great debt to its veterans.

"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ who died on a cross at Calvary...and the American soldiers," Smith said. "Our brave soldiers have fought and died and are still doing so today all around the world to gain and preserve the wonderful freedom that we have in this great country of ours today.

"Because of these brave young men and women we are one nation under God. A veteran is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to the United States of America for an amount up to and including their lives. This is honor."

As the nation is still celebrating America's 250th Anniversary, Smith reminded those in attendance of the sacrifices of those who served and came back, the wounded and those affected mentally by their time in the service.

"We are forever indebted to them all," Smith said. "It shows that freedom is not free."

He commented on the number of organizations and groups that have week-long or month-long commemorations for the people they serve. However, veterans only get one designed day every year on Veterans Day.

"One day is all we get,"Smith said. "To me that is not right and it is not fair.

"These are men and women who served in the military to protect our country and keep our freedom."

He challenged those in attendance to get down on their knees and pray for every veteran who has served and continues to serve that are in harm's way.

"I challenge each and every one of you," Smith said. "This is how we honor them everyday through prayer in order to keep them safe."

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