Every Veterans Day, Americans gather to show appreciation to the nation’s veterans and every year, the thanks seems to fall short.

Perhaps, the Rev. Willie Henderson said it best.

“We come to say thank you to our veterans as humbly as we know how,” Henderson said during the invocation at the Colley Senior Complex’s 17^th Annual Veterans Day Breakfast Program Friday morning.

Veterans from World War II through Afghanistan attended the breakfast held in their honor.

Troy Mayor Jason Reeves thanked the veterans for their service and dedication to country and for coming home to continue to serve in their communities.

“We are grateful to our veterans every day,” he said.

Randy Ross, Pike County Veterans Affairs officer, introduced the program’s keynote speaker Maj. General Walter Givhan, USAF, Retired. Givhan is the senior vice chancellor of Advancement and Development for Troy University.

Givhan highlighted the history of the country’s “modern” wars from World War I forward.

When the Armistice between the Allies and Germany was signed at the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month in 1918 and the fighting in World War I came to an end, Americans believed that World War I was the war to end all wars, Givhan said.

“Americans had experienced the horrors of war – how it was in the trenches with shelling all day and night. The flowers of a generation wiped out and many others came home shell-shocked. It seem unimaginable that another world war would happen,” Givhan said. “But another world war did happen and American patriots once again went to fight for the common good.

“My heroes, my role models were my family members and those around me who answered our country’s call,” Givhan said, adding that his heroes continue to be America’s veterans – those who continue to answer America’s call.

Wars are no longer fought in a way that there is wholesale slaughter as it was in the world wars when millions of lives were lost. But one life lost in war is one too many.

Givhan said the United States doesn’t want a fair fight when it comes to war. The United States wants to be superior in all aspects of war and, if and when the fight comes, all is fair, and the United States is prepared.

At the 11^th hour, of the 11^th day of the 11th month of November 2016, the Brundidge VFW Post 7055 conducted a Veterans Day Program at Elam Cemetery at Elamville.

Post Commander Henry Middlebrooks said the Veterans Day Ceremony is held annually at the Elam Cemetery where more than 70 veterans are buried.
“For a small cemetery the percentage of veterans buried here is large,” Middlebrooks said. “Some of the veterans’ graves date back to the Civil War. People in this area are patriotic and appreciate and support their veterans.”

The guest speaker for the Veterans Day program was Dorothy Robbins of Dothan. Robbins is a volunteer lobbyist for the Veterans Administration.

Although Robbins had no crystal ball, she did say that the future looks brighter for veterans, especially in health care.

And, if things fall into place, Robbins predicted that both Fort Rucker and Maxwell Air Force Base will be secure and even expand.

“There are many reasons why we must keep America great,” Robbins said. “Among them is to defend freedom but the most important reason to keep America great is the right to petition heaven and ask God to bless this nation with wisdom, courage, strength and devotion and also His blessing on those who put on the uniform of the United States of America. We must pray to God in gratitude for our blessings.”