Last week, WYSO Community Voices Producer Zack Sliver spent Flag Day at Point Park in North Dayton. That day, veterans, neighbors, and community leaders came together for the rededication of the North Dayton Patriots Memorial.
Afterwards, Sliver asked people why events like this are still important. Here's what they said.
This transcript has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Rep. Andrea White: We are thrilled to be here today. I am so honored to represent this neighborhood as a state representative. I am very grateful because this comes together. They have a history of embracing and accepting and lifting up everyone and remembering their history and remembering where they came from, who they came from, and who stood before them and whose shoulders they stand on. And we are honored to be here today to honor these veterans who gave their lives.
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Jermaine Sterling: My name is Jermaine Sterling. I'm with the Dayton VA Medical Center.
Zack Sliver: What's one thing you'd like people listening on the radio to take from today?
Sterling: Don't forget those who have given everything. I think that sometimes we can look at the challenges of our day-to-day lives and forget that we are free today because individuals have made the ultimate sacrifice, and it's truly monumental. There's no sacrifice that goes beyond what they have given.
Sliver: Well, as a veteran, I just want to thank you for everything you do. I go to the Dayton VA, and it's phenomenal. I just appreciate all your guys' hard work.
Sterling: Veteran to veteran, it is truly an honor. I'm just doing it in a different uniform, so I hope one day I can look back and say we've laid down a footprint that really drives home what we do best, and that's take care of veterans.
Sliver: Well, thank you so much for your time.
Sterling: Thank you.
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Michael Blake: This kind of gathering is a real plus for the people and their families who are here, and I believe that, you know, some of the guys are here too, you know, in spirit. That's the whole importance of it. The crowd's much bigger than I thought it was going to be, but the monument stays forever, and that's great.
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Sliver: Why is it so important not to forget the people being honored here?
Darryl Fairchild: Well, we owe them a great debt of gratitude, and they always say that we live on the shoulders of giants, particularly around veterans protecting our freedoms and giving, you know, their lives for the protection of those freedoms. Too often, our families who have lost a loved one in service, particularly in this day and age, often do that in isolation. Sometimes our wars are—I mean, they're not like World War II, when it felt like the whole community was involved and everyone knew someone who was fighting the war. So the community coming together really is a symbol to them that they're not alone.
Sliver: Thank you so much.
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Jason Hess: I'm Jason Hess with Modern Monument in Beavercreek.
Sliver: Why do you think it matters to remember veterans publicly?
Hess: Well, service in general. I've noticed that with each generation, culture changes. You know, I think back to my parents and how involved they were with their church and different organizations and that sort of thing, and now we've become a little bit more isolated with this technological age and social media. So, I would say it's good for people to gather. It's good for people to remember history and all the people who have contributed to the community they live in. If you get a good group together and you work hard, you can do something great because the restoration of this monument was a major ordeal, and it took a lot of work, a lot of planning, and I just think it's a great accomplishment. Maybe everyone should pay attention to what they see in their own communities and make an effort to restore those monuments and keep that history alive.
Sliver: Yeah, thank you so much. You guys did a phenomenal job. The monument looks great, and I just want to appreciate all your hard work.
Hess: Thank you.
Veterans' Voices is presented by Wright-Patt Credit Union. Additional support comes from the Dayton Ombudsman Veterans Transition Team and Montgomery County Veterans Service Commission. Veterans' Voices is produced at the Eichelberger Center for Community Voices.
