As I drove to Chehalis Saturday, I found myself grousing about the 92-degree temperature on what proved to be our hottest day this year.
Then I thought about the men and women being honored at the Veterans Memorial Museum, Desert War veterans who wore body armor and carried weapons, ammunition and other gear in summer temperatures averaging 110 degrees, sometimes soaring over 120.
We have it so easy with our air conditioners, fans and everyday freedoms, thanks in large part to men and women who have served in our nation’s military and continue to do so today.
More than 70 people gathered in the museum’s air-conditioned upstairs meeting room for Desert War Veterans Remembrance Day honoring those who have served since 1973.
Some were stationed stateside; others fought in Iran, Beirut, Libya, Panama, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan.
“Young Americans stand up for freedom, stand up against tyranny, stand up to volunteer, but mostly stand up for our country,” said Chehalis First Baptist Church Pastor Jeff Hawkins, a Desert Wars veteran.
A traffic backup on Interstate 5 prevented special speaker Sgt. Joel Dulashanti from attending, but the event still served its purpose as veterans received recognition (and a cup) for their service.
Rebecca Ford sang a beautiful a cappella rendition of the national anthem, and Danika Macomber and Streetlight Constellation also performed.
Chip Duncan, the museum’s executive director, described Dulashanti, a sniper with the 82nd Airborne in Afghanistan, as a remarkable man who persevered after being severely wounded and fights for veterans’ rights.
“Our hope rides with the young men and women who today only represent a small fraction of our American landscape,” Duncan said. “We cannot simply take the attitude that our freedoms are an entitlement … The men and women who protect it should never be forgotten.”
Combat veterans who return home “all come back with wounds,” Duncan said, some physical, others emotional.
“We cannot let them come home and remain bleeding,” he said. “We need to ask, ‘What can I do to help?’ Reach out. Ask what you can do to help.”
Town Hall
Lewis County Sheriff Rob Snaza and Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer are reaching out to veterans who return with drug or mental health issues. At a Town Hall Wednesday at Toledo, they described their mental health alternative, which focuses on helping people with mental illnesses find the help they need — housing, transportation, assistance filling out paperwork — rather than simply incarcerating them in jail (at a taxpayer cost of $90 a night) for breaking minor laws.
“They’re held accountable but get help to become productive members of society,” Meyer said.
“The days of us walking away and turning a blind eye are done,” Snaza said. “They’re gone.”
Deputies also work in schools and train with corrections officers. The sheriff said anyone in Lewis County has three alternatives — live and be productive, move out of the county, or go to jail.
Accompanying Meyer was Oak, a black Labrador who comforts crime victims and witnesses of all ages faced with testifying in court.
Several people shared their concerns over the potential for violence on Collins Road, where law enforcement officers — sometimes armed with assault rifles — have responded to one house 86 times in the past 15 years. Snaza and Meyer said they’d meet with residents to look at options.
It’s great to see our elected law enforcement officials holding town halls, listening to residents’ concerns and sharing their goals — despite potential hazards.
“There are two dangers with town halls,” Meyer joked. “Inviting politicians and allowing them to talk.”
P.S.
Sometimes it’s good to tell your inner child to hush. After upside-down roller coaster rides at Wild Waves, I need to see the chiropractor.
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Julie McDonald, a personal historian from Toledo, may be reached at memoirs@chaptersoflife.com.
