Community honors veterans

Post No. 26 member Frank Dalton throws a salute.

As the bell rang out across Mountain View Cemetery for the eleventh time, a light rain fell upon the hundreds of people that paused in silence Wednesday morning. Braving the morning chill and overcast skies, they took time out of their daily routine to pay their respects to the nation's military veterans.

During Mountain Home's annual Veteran's Day celebration, veterans past and present, families of military members and others came together to reflect on the accomplishments of the U.S. military and how veterans in past and current conflicts continue to bring peace and hope to nations around the world.

"Whether you wear the uniform today or wore it decades ago, you represent a fundamental truth... the true strength of our military is the spirit and skill of our people," said Col. Pete Lee, 366th Fighter Wing vice commander, during his opening comments at Wednesday's ceremony.

"In every generation... brave Americans have stepped forward and served honorably in the armed forces of the United States."

Every one that serves the United States with "quiet courage and exemplary service" deserves the admiration of the entire country, the colonel added.

"When you ask young men and women to endure great hardships, drastically change their lifestyles and possibly give their lives for you, the words 'thank you' see woefully insufficient," said American Legion Post Commander Jim Suprise during his remarks at the ceremony. "Simply put, we owe them a debt that can never be repaid."

For the past 18 years, America has remained at war, starting with Operation Desert Storm in 1991, Lee said. Today, military members are currently deployed to more than 135 countries around the world conducting military operations or providing humanitarian care to others around the world.

During the event, the colonel highlighted the bravery U.S. service members during recent combat operations in Afghanistan.

He praised people like Staff Sgt. Zachary Rhyner, an Air Force combat controller, who earned the Air Force Cross and Purple Heart for "uncommon valor" during a nearly seven-hour battle at Shok Valley, Afghanistan, on April 6, 2008. Despite his wounds, the sergeant coordinated more than 50 close air strikes against enemy forces while providing cover fire from his own weapon to ensure his fellow teammates were extracted from the area.

The colonel also paused to honor others like Staff Sgt. Phillip Myers, who died of wounds from an attack involving an improvised explosive device on April 4 near Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Just 13 months prior, the sergeant earned the Bronze Star for his actions during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"While the utopian idea of a society without war is appealing, let us not forget that wars have liberated slaves, stopped genocide and toppled terrorists," Suprise said.

"Regardless of which view... you take, we do know that without our veterans, America would not be America."

However, the nation's greatest wars are the battles it never has to fight "because those who wish us harm slink away in fear," from those wearing the uniforms of the U.S. armed forces, Suprise said.

Today, Idaho remains home to more than 137,000 active duty, Guard, Reserve or retired service members. It makes the state's ratio of military veterans the largest in the nation, said Mayor Tom Rist.

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