Governor’s Veterans Service Award

First off, my husband got involved with this because he wanted to do something nice for his brother, surprise him, and see him get some appreciation and recognition for his service to our country. They are the last of the “Mount-hicans” (at least of their generation with both parents and their sister gone) and seem to both wish they were closer as over time they have gone pretty much their separate ways as happens in many families. So we showed up at the American Legion hall for this ceremony and watched the crowd roll in. There were lots of veterans of all ages and many wars. The crowd was predominantly male but there were women vets there too. I saw lots of uniforms, some military and many American Legion blazers and pin covered caps. My grandsons had questions about the many flags that decorated the Legion Hall. The people watching was excellent and I was struck by the fact that these men and women being honored this day were pretty ordinary folks that if not for this gathering would be like people you see every day. Their service to our country that affords the freedoms we enjoy is what they were gathered to be honored for but for the most part they carried no signs saying they were veterans, though there was a row of folks in wheelchairs and maybe more with prosthetic limbs like Uncle Mart. They were a humble group and after the governor’s remarks and the spotlight veterans (my husband and his brother) received their medals the rest of the vets cued like a church crowd, or group of grads, to the front of the hall for theirs. The photos with the governor (Rick Scott) and the mayor of Tampa was the finale. Pretty low key as far as ceremonies go, no cap throwing or dancing, but nice, sincere, and richly deserved. Congratulations to all awardees.