It’s been more than a month since my last column. During that hiatus, some of my time was spent speaking to groups in Utah and Idaho. On Oct. 29 I had the privilege of being the keynote speaker at the Pocatello Idaho Branch of the NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet Honoring America’s Veterans. The theme of the event was “Fulfilling America’s Promise.” It was a very moving evening, especially the POW/MIA presentation, for all in attendance. I am a better person for having been there.
In celebration of American veterans, past and present, and in commemoration of Veterans Day, what follows are excerpts from my address that night, which was titled “American Freedom Fighters of Color: Heroes Proved in Liberating Strife.”
On Oct. 26, I participated in my retirement ceremony, capping more than 20 combined years of active and reserve military service in the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force Reserve.