As a Vietnam Veteran who just last month celebrated his 70th birthday, I can say that I have been a registered voter since my dad helped me register in 1971 after graduating from high school. It was this year that 18 year old’s were first allowed to vote. I turned 18 in 1970 but the law didn’t go into effect until a year later. I was just finishing up my first full year of College in 1972 when I was one of the last young men in CA to be drafted into the Vietnam War.
My high school’s (Belmont High, Los Angeles) motto is “Enter To Learn, Go Forth To Serve” and that’s how I lived my life. One of my first jobs was to ride my bicycle delivering news papers to people, I worked at my high school while attending College, served in the military, returned home to coach youth sports, while raising a family I volunteered in my children’s school’s as a Parent Advocate, later I was hired by the school district to do what I was doing for free for years, volunteered with my church to serve the community, I worked with community members to host Peace & Unity events, became an officer with my City’s Historical Society, and finally, for the past few years I have served as a Veteran Advocate with my County’s Veterans Collaborative.
So, this Veteran’s Day I reflect upon how I’ve lived my life and tried to give back by being a service provider to my Community and Country. Whenever you can, thank a Veteran for their service!
Happy Veteran’s Day!