►
From YouTube: Veterans Day Virtual Ceremony 2021
Description
No description was provided for this meeting.
If this is YOUR meeting, an easy way to fix this is to add a description to your video, wherever mtngs.io found it (probably YouTube).
A
Good
morning
and
welcome
to
our
virtual
veterans
day
ceremony,
broadcast
live
from
the
american
legion
post,
70
asheville
north
carolina.
Thank
you,
post
70
for
hosting
us
we're
truly
honored
to
have
you
with
us
this
veterans
day.
My
name
is
alan
pakal.
I
am
the
chair
of
buncombe
county
veterans,
council,
one
of
the
sponsors
today's
ceremony
also
contributing
sponsors,
are
to
the
city
of
asheville
and
his
veterans
affairs
committee
buncombe
county
and
charles
george
v.a.
A
Today's
ceremony
is
about
honoring
the
service
of
every
veteran
who
has
served
their
country
in
war
or
peace
time.
Thank
you
for
your
sacrifices
to
keep
our
freedom.
Please
remember.
Freedom
is
not
free.
On
the
11th
hour
of
the
11th
day
of
the
11th
month,
when
the
guns
fell
silent,
we
will
always
remember.
B
C
D
D
We
also
thank
and
honor
those
who
gave
their
lives
protecting
the
freedoms
we
hold
so
dear
before
I
turn
it
over
to
vice
chairman
whitesides,
I'd
like
to
recognize
stephanie,
young
and
laura
tugman
and
the
incredible
work
they
do
at
the
charles
george
va
center.
The
va
is
a
vital
asset
to
the
veterans
in
our
community.
D
In
addition,
I'd
like
to
thank
the
brothers
and
sisters
like
these
for
sharing
their
stories
with
us
today.
I
have
now
had
the
opportunity
to
hear
their
stories
on
several
occasions
and
I
find
them
to
be
moving
and
insightful,
allowing
us
non-veterans
to
better
understand
the
experience
of
those
who
have
served
our
country
in
the
military.
D
In
2007,
the
mayor's
committee
for
veterans
affairs
was
created
to
increase
awareness
and
community
resource
of
community
resources
available
to
active
duty
and
retired
service
members
and
military
veterans.
The
city
of
asheville
remains
committed
to
honoring
and
supporting
veterans
in
our
community
and
across
the
country.
D
E
Service
good
morning,
on
behalf
of
the
270
000
citizens
of
buncombe
county,
the
buncombe
county
commission
and
the
county
employees,
I'd
like
to
say
thank
you
for
letting
us
participate
this
morning
in
the
veterans
day
celebration
and
I'd
like
to
thank
all
of
you
who
put
this
on
because
as
a
vietnam
veteran,
this
is
something
I
see
that
sometimes
veterans
have
forgotten
and
we
can.
We
need
to
always
remember
those
who
keep
us
safe
and
who's
made
america,
the
strongest
country.
It
is
today
on
earth.
E
For
me,
it's
especially
gratifying
to
come
and
to
be
a
part
of
this,
because
I
am
a
vietnam
veteran
and
I'm
proud
to
say
that
my
family
has
been
represented,
that
I
know
of
in
every
war,
since
the
spanish-american
war,
including
iraq,
one
two
and
afghanistan
and
thanked
the
lord.
We
didn't
lose
any
members
of
our
family
during
those
conflicts,
but
to
all
the
veterans
to
the
families
and
to
those
who
are
in
on
active
duty
today.
E
A
You
mayor
and
thank
you
vice
chair
whiteside.
Our
first
presenter
will
be
stephanie
young
director,
charles
george
v.a
medical
center,
asheville
north
carolina,
the
best
va
in
the
country.
We,
the
veterans
of
western
north
carolina,
are
truly
blessed
to
have
charles
george
medical
center
as
our
health
care
provider.
F
When
he
threw
himself
on
a
grenade
to
protect
his
fellow
soldiers
for
his
action,
he
was
posthumously
awarded
the
medal
of
honor.
We
honor
him
and
all
service
members.
Every
day
we
honor
them
with
our
dedication
and
our
desire
to
serve
those
who
have
served.
Our
great
nation,
as
we
know
today,
is
a
special
day
for
all
americans.
F
F
Fortunately,
not
every
veteran
had
to
face
combat,
even
so
most
consider
their
time
in
service
a
very
defining
time
in
their
life.
That's
because
the
military
tends
to
bring
out
the
best
in
people
it
enhances.
What's
already
there
honor
duty
and
patriotism,
it
doesn't
matter
which
branch
they
served
in,
they
may
joke
with
each
other
about
different
services.
They
may
kid
around,
but
do
not
be
mistaken.
F
There
is
a
bond
that
joins
every
veteran
from
every
branch
of
every
service,
each
raised
their
right
hand
and
swore
that
they
stood
ready
to
fight
and,
if
called
for
die
for
their
country,
we
at
the
va,
honor
all
veterans.
We
pay
tribute
to
their
strength
of
character
in
irrefutable
loyalty
every
single
day.
F
We
serve
them
out
of
respect
for
their
service
that
they
provided
to
our
great
nation,
just
as
they
have
memories
of
their
family
and
friends
of
days
and
places
from
the
past.
We
have
memories
of
them.
Sometimes
they
share
stories
with
us,
sometimes
when
they
receive
services
and
care,
and
then
quietly
go
about
their
way.
F
F
We
strive
to
understand
their
challenges,
we
honor
their
sacrifices
and
we
celebrate
their
overwhelming
successes,
we're
grateful
for
all
they
have
done
and
we're
honored
to
be
here
and
support
and
care
for
them.
We're
also
very
thankful
for
a
very,
very
supportive
community
veterans
on
behalf
of
our
va
team.
A
Our
keynote
speaker
today
is
dr
laura
tugman
chief
of
mental
health
services.
Charles
george
va
medical
center.
Dr
tugman
is
an
army
veteran
enlisted
from
1991
to
1995,
where
she
served
as
a
psychiatric
specialist.
Her
experiences
and
training
in
the
army
became
the
catalyst
for
a
life's
work
to
serve
fellow
veterans
struggling
with
mental
health
issues.
A
G
G
I
grew
up
in
a
large
family
where
most
of
the
men
in
the
family
served
in
the
military
at
some
point
in
their
lives,
and
my
most
vivid
memory
of
this
was
one
of
my
uncles
who
served
in
vietnam.
Several
years
before
I
was
born
his
army
class,
a
uniform
was
always
hanging
in
the
closet
at
my
grandmother's
house
and
even
as
a
young
child.
I
knew
that
that
uniform
was
special.
We
would
open
the
door
and
look
at
it
sometimes
years
later,
that
same
uncle
would
become
one
of
my
biggest
supporters.
G
G
The
last
day
I
went
to
the
mep
station,
I
was
given
three
options
for
an
mos
or
military
occupational
specialty.
So
that
day
I
was
offered
to
be
a
truck
driver,
a
meat
inspector
or
a
psychiatric
specialist,
and
I
immediately
knew
that
psychiatric
specialist
was
the
right
job.
For
me,
it
was
one
of
the
best
decisions
I've
made
in
my
life,
the
job
description
included,
working
in
army
hospitals,
providing
care
for
soldiers
and
psychiatric
units
taking
care
of
them
after
combat
after
so
many
attempts
to
find
the
right
mls.
G
Being
a
soldier
taught
me
a
whole
new
way
of
being
a
female
in
the
world.
As
a
soldier,
I
was
expected
to
carry
my
weight
and
handle
my
problems
without
special
consideration
being
part
of
a
unit.
I
learned
how
to
function
at
a
higher
level
than
just
my
own
self,
but
to
be
vigilant
for
the
good
of
my
comrades,
which
is
an
important
lesson
for
any
young
person
to
learn.
In
order
to
be
successful
in
life,
I
gained
a
high
level
of
self-confidence
and
independence
that
shaped
my
life.
G
My
brother
was
also
in
the
military.
He
joined
the
marines
right
out
of
high
school
and
he
was
actually
the
one
who
inspired
me
to
join
the
army
serving
in
the
military
was
challenging
fun
and
exciting.
For
us,
we
both
loved
it
and
we
were
competitive,
competitive
with
each
other
and
tasks
like
marksmanship
and
physical
fitness,
and
a
lot
of
good
natured
ribbing
that
ms
young
just
referred
to
between
services.
G
G
G
My
brother
was
now
an
infantry
officer
in
the
army
and
it
only
took
a
few
moments
for
the
dread
and
fear
to
set
in.
I
didn't
know
where,
when
or
how.
But
I
knew
that
my
brother
was
going
to
go
to
combat
over
the
next
11
years.
I
began
to
understand
the
other
side
of
military
service,
as
I
was
now
a
family
member
at
home,
worrying
about
the
safety
of
my
brother
as
he
served
multiple
deployments
in
iraq
and
afghanistan.
G
G
G
After
all,
the
ribbing
for
those
years,
it
made
me
proud
to
be
a
woman
veteran
and
it
inspired
me
to
find
a
way
to
support,
not
just
my
family,
but
my
country.
During
the
two
wars
we
were
fighting
through
those
years.
I
was
acutely
aware
of
the
sacrifice
made
by
so
many
members
of
our
military
and
their
families.
G
I
began
to
look
at
va
as
a
place
where
I
could
contribute
the
skills
that
I
had
and
combine
that
with
my
calling
to
care
for
veterans,
I
completed
a
master's
degree
in
counseling
at
that
point,
but
va
didn't
hire
counselors
at
that
time.
They
hired
psychologists
made
the
decision.
I
would
return
to
school
and
obtain
a
doctorate
in
psychology
with
the
goal
of
obtaining
a
job
in
the
va
to
care
for
veterans.
G
G
G
As
I
reflect
back
to
that
young
woman
who
enlisted
in
the
army,
I
had
no
idea
where
the
journey
would
lead
that
the
day
I
chose
to
be
a
psychiatric
specialist
would
set
the
path
for
my
life's
work
up
to
this
day.
But
I
am
profoundly
grateful
to
be
a
veteran
and
to
have
served
this
wonderful
country.
G
A
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
We
became
a
tribe,
a
family,
but
with
any
war
destruction
soon
follows
my
unit
lost
26
marines
to
improvise
explosive
devices
and
sniper
fire.
It
was
an
unsettling
affair.
We
would
be
on
patrol
for
14
hours.
Circling
this
tiny
town
of
husaiba
an
explosion
would
go
off
and
we
could
feel
the
earth
shake.
H
H
H
H
I
would
learn
this
firsthand.
In
april
of
2004,
I
was
on
a
foot
patrol
walking,
along
on
this
beautiful
sunny
day
when
unexpectedly,
an
improvised
explosive
device
detonated,
it
tore
through
my
best
friend
chris
wasser,
the
remaining
shrapnel
from
the
bomb
tore
through
my
legs,
my
arms,
my
fingers,
bicep
and
eye.
I
fell
to
the
ground,
a
sense
of
terror
and
drowning
overcame
me.
H
H
H
I
struggled
to
find
stability
and
stable
footing.
I
had
my
entire
reality
ripped
out
from
underneath
me
separated
from
my
tribe
and
completely
alone.
I
turned
to
opioids
to
manage
the
pain,
both
physical
and
emotional,
but
fortunately
I
had
an
amazing
family
and
support
system
that
never
gave
up
on
me.
H
I
I
Overall,
a
student
would
be
eligible
to
receive
a
scholarship,
valued
up
to
one
hundred
thousand
dollars,
and
if
that
wasn't
enough
achievement,
he
was
also
an
eagle
scout
al's,
graduation
yearbook.
Inscription
was
knowledge,
is
power
near
completion
of
high
school
al
decided
to
decline,
the
rensselaer
scholarship
and
instead
to
compete
for
an
appointment
to
the
united
states
air
force
academy.
I
I
had
also
received
an
appointment
that
year
and
it
was
during
basic
cadet
training
that
summer,
when
I
met
al
for
the
first
time,
having
survived
those
six
weeks
of
intense
military
orientation
from
the
upperclassmen,
we
both
were
assigned
to
our
permanent
cadet
squadron
for
the
next
four
years.
The
22nd.
I
During
that
time,
I
was
fortunate
to
twice
have
alex
my
roommate
and
we
became
good
friends.
He
the
scientific
type
from
massachusetts
and
me,
the
liberal
arts
guy
from
alabama
al.
The
cheeser
was
a
highly
respected
member
of
the
22nd.
My
squadron
classmates
and
I
remember
his
calm,
demeanor,
ready
smile
and
always
positive
attitude.
I
I
Al's
strong
academic
performance
at
the
academy
resulted
in
his
selection
for
a
coveted
first
assignment
to
graduate
school
in
just
seven
months.
Al
completed
a
master
of
science
degrees
in
applied
mathematics
while
attending
north
carolina
state
university,
and
though
academics
were
always
a
love
and
a
focus
for
al
at
north
carolina
state.
He
happily
shifted
his
focus
and
attention
after
he
met,
fell
in
love
with
and
soon
married,
a
very
intelligent
and
level
young
woman
named
beverly.
I
I
He
reported
for
combat
duty
with
the
21st
special
operations
squadron
the
dust
devils
at
nakan,
phanam
royal
thai
air
force
base.
Thailand
al
flew
missions
in
the
ch3
affectionately,
nicknamed
a
jolly
green
because
of
its
size
and
color
and
later
was
selected
to
serve
as
an
instructor,
indicating
the
great
trust
and
confidence
his
supervisors
placed
in
his
judgment
and
skill
during
his
combat
tour.
I
I
The
pilots
and
crew
members
of
the
21st
special
operations
squadron
were
highly
decorated
for
their
heroism.
In
this
very
intense
and
difficult
combat
environment,
the
distinguished
flying
cross
is
awarded
to
any
persons
who
distinguish
themselves
by
single
acts
of
heroism
or
extraordinary
achievement,
while
participating
in
aerial
flight.
I
Al
was
the
recipient
of
five
distinguished
flying
crosses
six
air
medals
and
the
purple
heart
for
his
combat
missions
flown
in
southeast
asia.
On
august
13
1970,
while
flying
on
a
training
mission
to
yuban
thailand,
two
weeks
before
al
was
to
have
completed
his
combat
tour
and
returned
to
beverly
and
their
young
daughter.
I
I
J
J
J
J
It
still
frightened
him
sometimes
more
than
others.
He
didn't
know
why
it
confused
him
to
think.
No
one
knew
what
it
was.
He
knew
and
remembered
he
pulled
on
it
to
straighten
it.
The
way
it
was
when
he
first
came
into
his
life,
but
it
wiggled
and
curled
back
on
itself,
like
it
had
its
own
life.
Now
the
small
wooden
box
once
held
cigars
now
like
a
vault
it
kept
a
long
ago.
Memories
like
the
terrifying
one
when
he
and
this
sinister
black
thing
first
met.
J
Of
course
it
was
over
50
years
ago,
but
still
as
clear
as
ever.
It
would
be
like
that
until
one
of
them
died,
he
physically
thrown
out
no
longer
having
any
power.
He
held
it
close
to
his
eyes,
examining
it
a
fine
gauge,
copper,
wire
coated
with
flexible
insulation
on
one
of
a
larger
copper
wire.
Once
coiled
tight,
now
pull
straight
one
piece,
irons,
one
piece
there's
who
was
it
that
made
this
whole
thing?
Who
put
it
where
it
was
sure
to
be
found?
J
He
found
it
that
night
long
ago
in
the
war,
simple
construction
with
deadly
consequences,
he
put
it
back
in
the
box-
closed
the
lid,
but
not
on
his
memory.
This
time
walking
point
in
a
slow
drizzle
moving
too
fast
trying
to
make
set
up
before
dawn
right
leg,
stepping
into
a
hole
that
shouldn't
be
there.