A warm autumn day greeted visitors to the Concord Township American Hero Memorial on Smithbridge Road on Sunday for the township’s annual Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 2. Speakers for the event included Concord Council Co-Vice President John Gillespie and guest speaker Joshua May.
“Today we pause to remember those who were called upon to put their lives on the line for our country,” said Gillespie in his opening remarks. “We think of those who died in the service of our nation, but let us remember not only those who died, but those who lived. For while the giving of one’s life is the last full measure of devotion, those who came home from the war also deserve, not merely the grateful thanks, but also the salute of their fellow countrymen.”
May, a member of the Concordville Fore Co. and Marine Corps reservist, was the guest speaker.
He opened his remarks by thanking all members of the armed forces who fought, were enlisted, or currently serve.
“We are able to celebrate a day like this because of men and women who stood up and took the oath to serve for something greater than themselves,” he said.
May then gave a brief history of Veterans Day.
“Veterans Day, which is Nov. 11, was originally named Armistice Day to celebrate the end of WWI on Nov. 11, 1918. In 1954, after the Second World War and the Korean War, the day was changed to remember all veterans, living and dead.”
“What is a veteran?” May continued. “A veteran is a person who has actively served his country in one of the six military branches and finished his enlistment with an honorable discharge. In my eyes, I am not a veteran yet.”
May said he doesn’t consider himself a veteran yet, primarily because he has not yet been deployed anywhere.
He said he was born three days before 9/11, and by age 16, all he knew was that “We were at war with some sandy countries overseas.”
May continued, saying he grew up in a beautiful area of Southern Chester County with his family, growing up exploring whenever he could.
“I was taught to be kind and stand up for what was right. My family has a very long history of serving in military organizations. From visiting my ancestors’ graves in Scotland, where they fought in the Crusades, to the world wars, Vietnam and Afghanistan, I knew it’s what I wanted and needed to do. From a little boy, the Marines captivated me, from books and movies to real-life experiences, the Marines impressed me.”
Even before he was old enough to enlist, May said he found other ways of serving the community. He volunteered as a firefighter at Po-Mar-Lin Fire Co. at age 17 and began gaining experience and knowledge.
“At age 18, while still in high school, I enlisted in the Marine Corps reserve as…a machine gunner. My thought process was simple: we’re not actively in a war, so I can further my firefighting career and attend college. And if something did hit the fan, I would go and fight with the reserves. And if nothing happened, I would at least be ready and have that experience.”
Since the day of his enlistment, he has now become a machine gun squad leader for a weapons platoon and currently holds the rank of corporal.
“I’ve made life-long friends, have had many funny, horrible, boring, and interesting stories I could tell for hours. But the reason I don’t consider myself a veteran yet is that I’ve not been deployed. I’ve been across the states training, learning, preparing for that time. My deployment should be within the next nine months. Most active duty Marines have a nickname for my kind, ‘weekend warrior, semper sometimes, and so on, but I can tell you from my own eyes…my brothers, my unit, and I are ready.”
Following his address, the names of veterans were read and Taps played.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
