Silence fell over soldiers and civilians alike as Tonya Miller sang the National Anthem Monday night during Harker Heights’ annual Veterans Day Ceremony at the Recreation Center next to City Hall.

“We are honoring all service members who are no longer with us,” Marty Martinez of the Centex Chapter 88 TREA said to attendees. “We are carrying on the tradition of honoring all service members. It doesn’t matter how long you served, you are a veteran and we appreciate you.” 

Pink and purple glowsticks were handed out to those attending to be lit while a single wreath was laid by the American flag, which was presented by Mayor Ed Mullen and City Council with support of Veteran Organizations.

Special guest speaker Congressman John Carter spoke to the gathering about when he was younger he thought that veterans were only old people.

“We had this teenager who lived next door to us when I was just a boy,” Carter said. “He was a scrawny thing, but he wanted to join the Marine Corps.

“When he finally did, he came home and my father referred to him as a veteran. It was the first time I was aware of what a real veteran was.”

He also told attendees that he always knows he is in the presence of greatness when he is around those who have served in the Armed Forces.

“You will never find an American citizen more loyal than one who has stood up and fought for this nation,” Carter said. “This is the day, the day we say thank you and may we never ever forget those who stood up and fought for our freedom.”

Also speaking at the event was LTG Rick Lynch, Commanding General of III Corps and Fort Hood. He spoke to those attending, contrasting the differences between the treatment soldiers coming home receive today as opposed to several years ago.

Lynch said now when troops arrive home, they get cheers of welcome and people coming up to say how proud they are of them as compared to when soldiers would come home and have to run to the restrooms to change into civilian clothes, else they risk being booed or worse.

“Those veterans who preceded us deserved that recognition and not to be spat on or not get the welcome applause,” he said. “We’re proud to continue the heritage.

“Those of us in uniform today serve because we know what they did is still important. They did it so that their children and grandchildren would grow up with the same freedoms we all have growing up now.”

Horrace Grace said that he was one of the veterans who had to change into civilian clothing when he returned from Vietnam and recalled the harsh public treatment he experienced.

“It was like LTG Lynch said,” Grace conveyed. “We were harassed, so as soon as we would land we would rush to change out of those uniforms.”

For Col. Paul Funk, he felt the ceremony was a perfectly-fitting tribute to all vets.

“This community has always been so very supportive of the military,” Funk said. “We really are proud to call Harker Heights home.”