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All veterans share a bond.
Vietnam veteran Dr. Tim Boone spoke about that bond as the guest speaker Tuesday at the Veterans Day program in the Oakwood Cemetery Chapel in Warsaw.
Also during the program, all veterans of the Vietnam War were honored with the Order of Kosciuszko as 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the war’s end.
“Today, we the people gather as one community and one nation united in gratitude and respect to honor the men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces,” Boone said. “Veterans Day is not just a day on the calendar. It’s a day when we as a community can come together here in the cemetery, in the parks, at the middle schools, all around the country, at the Legion. It is a national moment to recognize the extraordinary sacrifices made by those who risk everything to defend our communities and uphold the values we cherish.”
From those who came before us, Boone said we learned about duty, honor, courage, patriotism and the American way.
“We learned what it means to be a veteran. We learned about freedom that too many take for granted today. We learned what freedom costs. We learned who pays the bill. We learned how we could lose that freedom, and you showed us how to remain free. We learned about camaraderie, respect and the bond that makes this day so special. Today I speak for all of us when I say thank you,” he continued.
“All veterans share this bond. One forged in tough times. Based on unity and purpose, royalty and, yes, fear. Fear not just for one’s self, but also fear of failure. Fear of not hacking. It’s not about self, but rather about mission accomplishment, performance and those next to us, and, most importantly, those entrusted to us.”
The most-often prayer heard from those going into combat, he said from personal experience, is, “Please, God, do not let me let my buddies down.”
Boone said it’s a privilege to serve. It’s a legacy that the men and women of today are continuing daily. They, too, signed a life check payable to the United States of America for the amount up to and including their lives.
“I hope they, too, will one day have the privilege of standing before a group of fellow Americans in a beautiful setting such as this and thanking the heroes before them, as I am today,” he stated.
“They also share that something special when things look bleak. In one split second a decision is made to risk all for one another. We know this because we’ve experienced it firsthand. This unshakeable bond begins to form when a recruit takes an oath in which he or she swears to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic.”
Boone said when he took the oath, he was taught the oath was not pledged to support or defend any one office or any one person. Instead, the oath is taken to support and defend the ideas on a piece of paper that most Americans hold dear and so many have fought to protect because it provides a way for Americans to live and work together for the common good.
“Our veterans come from every walk of life. They represent all backgrounds, ethnicities, reflecting the nation’s diversity and strength. Founded 249 years ago on the radical idea that all people are created equal. Americans have aspired to bring that vision to life, growing our country into a beacon of hope for the world,” Boone said. “Their bravery has shaped our history, safeguarded our way of life and inspired generations to pursue the American dream, to be a place where everyone can live in safety and worship freely.”
Some served on distant battlefields, while others kept watch during times of peace and many stood ready to defend the nation at a moment’s notice. “Under fire, they learned that patriotism means leaving no one behind,” Boone said.
Commitment to the American dream remains vital today. He said war, though sometimes necessary, costs physical injuries as well as invisible wounds.
“Feelings of guilt, loss and moral injury linger long after the battle ends. During my own service, I lost friends. Saw others horribly maimed, and was wounded myself. Yet the most challenging part was living with the unseen wounds - the guilt of actions taken to kill men and women, boys and girls serving as enemy soldiers. From moments of our fear, and from not being able to protect everyone,” Boone said.
The burden of keeping secrets from loved ones is heavy.
“I was wounded in September 1969 and spent 45 days recuperating and returned to duty without telling my wife. I sent her a lot of letters ... when she saw my injury months later, she was shocked to say the least. And that lie hurt us both deeply. That inability to fix the hard facts of reality cost us our marriage, as it has for countless veterans and their families. It’s a very real cost,” he said.
He’s now been married to Linda Snyder Boone, who was raised in North Webster, for over 50 years. They now live in Warsaw. Boone originally is from California.
In 2013, while Boone was serving as president of the Georgia Tech Military Group, they lost a fellow veteran, a major in the Marine Corps, who took his own life just a day before graduating with his MBA.
“It shocked us and we were devastated. We had no idea he was suffering so deeply. Tragedy reminds us that we must know each other better and ensure that no veteran is withdrawn,” he said. “We must stand by our veterans, especially as they face challenges like suicide risk. Veterans deserve recognition for their contributions today, as well. Not just thanks for their past service. Every veteran who has seen war carries the burden of wounds, seen and unseen. It’s important for them to know they are still loved and respected for who they are.”
As we pay tribute to our veterans, Boone said we should reaffirm our commitment to meaningful action, such as volunteering at local veteran organizations, advocating for their improved health care and employment opportunities and offering friendship and support.
“The freedoms we enjoy today are the direct result of their selfless service. Let’s never take these lessons for granted. Instead, let’s use this day and every day as an opportunity to actively support and uplift our veterans, to thank them for their sacrifice and pledge that their legacy will continue to inspire future generations. Now is the time for us to stand together for one another and our nation,” Boone stated.
Order of Kosciuszko
American Legion Post 49 Chaplain Ken Locke said a purpose of Veterans Day is to say “thank you” to veterans. In light of that, he said they were going to do something a little different this year with the Order of Kosciuszko.
“Kosciusko County, Indiana, recognizes the veterans of our Armed Forces who served our nation during the Vietnam War Era from 1955 to 1975. We extend our thoughts and prayers to the Gold Star Families of over 58,000 Americans who never made it home and pay tribute to the men and women who gave their lives,” he said, adding 1,573 Americans are still missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. “And we support the efforts of an accounting of all of our POWs and MIAs.”
Over 600,000 personnel were wounded in Vietnam, and it’s estimated over 300,000 have died from complications of Agent Orange since that war. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was recognized in 1980 as a mental health condition that affected many serving in Southeast Asia and now personnels in all wars.
“We understand now that PTSD has been around for a long time,” Locke said.
“We support all of Vietnam Era veterans, some who continue to live with the lasting effects of the war. The state of Indiana honors the 1,531 Hoosiers whose names are etched on the National Vietnam War Memorial. Kosciusko County honors our 23 citizens who gave the ultimate sacrifice, whose names are engraved on our war memorial on the courthouse square,” he said.
To all Vietnam veterans, on this Veterans Day, and at the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War on April 30, 1975, “we are reminded that freedom isn’t free.”
He said this year the Order of Kosciuszko goes to “all of our Vietnam veterans who served during that time.”
All Vietnam veterans were asked to stand, were applauded and each given a patch signifying the 50th anniversary. “And thank you for your service,” Locke stated.
Anyone at Tuesday’s program who knows a Vietnam veteran who was not there was given a patch to hand to them to say thanks for their service. Locke stated other patches will be left at Maggie’s Coffee House for Vietnam War veterans.
“Again, on behalf of Kosciusko County, we thank our Vietnam War Era veterans for your service,” he said.
Bells & Flag
The Veterans Day program began with the playing of the Armed Forces medley, the national anthem and the pledge of allegiance.
The Bells of Peace were rung with everyone in attendance standing and facing east.
Locke explained The Bells of Peace, saying, “In 1918, the world had never seen such a killing. Between 15 and 19 million people died during World War I and another 23 million were wounded. The Industrial Age had modernized death and Europe became the factory for new weapons and new ways of killing, from tanks and airplanes to gas and machine guns.”
The war started in 1914 and the killing continued until Nov. 11, 1918, when the Allies and the Central Powers signed an armistice that ended the slaughter, he said. The United States alone, which entered the conflict on April 6, 1917, lost 116,708 service members.
Germany signed the armistice in a railroad car, and the armistice was to take effect Nov. 11, 1918, at 11 a.m.
“It seemed like a miracle to a tired world. Bells burst forth and joyful chimes began once the story ran in a London newspaper. Big Ben and Westminster tolled long and loud, and its ringing was copied in belfries around the city,” Locke said. “In Paris, people took to the streets with joy and relief. The bells of Paris rang out, and people in the city from around the world cheered the end of the fighting that claimed so many.”
In New York City, he continued, the armistice was at 6 a.m., but New Yorkers still took to the streets. The bells of the city’s great houses of worship rang out and people flocked into the streets. The same thing occurred throughout the United States.
Armistice Day was supposed to mark the end of the war to end all wars. It’s now called Veterans Day as America honors all veterans of all wars and conflicts.
In the 100-plus years since 1918, Locke stated, U.S. service members have fought in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, Operations from Desert Storm, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama and the War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“We ring the bell today to honor and pray for peace,” Locke said. “General Douglas MacArthur once said, ‘The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.’ So we ring the bell today, especially praying for peace in this crazy world and may it be so.”
Johnny Butler, Sons of the American Legion squadron leader, shared about the Honor & Remember flag, including its history.
On Dec. 29, 2005, Spc. Tony Lutz II was killed by a sniper in Fallujah, Iraq. His father recognized the need to educate the nation on the cost of freedom, and his mission became about raising awareness about the sacrifice made by military men and women who died for the country through the creation and establishment of a distinct and tangible symbol.
When Lutz’s father could not find a symbol, he created the Honor and Remember flag, launched on Memorial Day 2008 “to perpetuity recognize the sacrifice of our fallen military heroes and their families, beginning with the American Revolution 250 years ago to present day,” Butler said.
He talked about the four pillars of Honor & Remember: establish, educate, present and comfort; the colors on the flag and the symbols on it.
Indiana became the 15th state to adopt the flag for fallen Hoosiers. Currently, there are 29 states that have adopted the flag, with Michigan trying to become the 30th. Locally, the flag can be seen flying at many Martin’s Super Markets, downtown at the Kosciusko County War Memorial, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and at other veteran service organizations across the country.
“Since 2008, since the launch of this flag, over 5,000 Gold Star families across the country have been recognized. Here in Indiana, we recently presented the 370th and 371st flags to Gold Star families,” Butler said. One was presented to the family of a Marine killed in Iraq in 2012, and the other to a Vietnam pilot shot down in 1967 who was listed as missing in action until 2009.
American Legion Auxiliary Post 49 Chaplain Bobbi Burkhart closed out the program with a prayer.
