LTC (retired) William Smith at Monday’s Veterans Day assembly at Fatima said it’s important to remember the definition of a veteran, which is a former member of the armed forces or an old soldier of long service, and it doesn’t matter whether an individual serving or retired saw combat.

“How do I define a veteran? A soldier, airman, sailor, or Marine who is willing to serve and give his or her life in order for this nation to continue to have the freedoms that we currently have,” said LTC Smith. “Notice I said willing. Members of the armed forces do not look or get excited about going to war. Some members are not called upon to go and defend this nation. My father, father-in-law and wife never got the call to go and defend the interests of this nation. My daughter and son have not been called upon up to date. That doesn’t mean they are not veterans. They were ready to go, if called upon. There is no difference between a war veteran and a veteran other than one was sent to a combat location. They both served this nation and were prepared to do what was asked.”

LTC Smith has a rich family military history, with six uncles who fought in World War II, his father, who served six years in the Air Force, his father-in-law, who retired from the Missouri Army National Guard after 35 years of service, and his nephew, who currently serves in the Army, with 15 years of service, including two deployments to Iraq.

His wife, MSG (retired) Jeanne Smith, 1982 graduate of Fatima, retired from the Missouri Army National Guard after 25 years of service; LTC Smith’s daughter, CPT Michelle Smith, currently serves in the Missouri Army National Guard, and has 12 years of service; and his son, PFC Tanner Smith, currently serves in the Missouri Army National Guard, with three years of service.

Today, the military is made up of strictly volunteer soldiers. “The draft is not being used currently, so the soldiers, seamen and airmen you see in uniform volunteered to serve,” said LTC Smith. “They understood the risks and swore to defend this nation when called upon. That is the definition. But what is a veteran? Each veteran has a different story. I encourage you, when you have time, to sit down and let a veteran tell his or her story. I have listen to veterans daily and still enjoy hearing their story. Today I am going to talk about my story.”

How does one become a veteran? First you go to a recruiter and make the decision to sign up for the branch of service of your choice. “My choice was the Army,” said LTC Smith, who was sent to Ft. McClellan, Ala. for basic training, which was eight weeks. “This, for most recruits is the first time being a way from family and friend for a long period of time.”

However, during basic training, your immediate family will grow by two or three new brothers or sisters, LTC Smith said. “The bonds you make at basic are strong as family,” he added. “I still remain in touch with the two battle buddies I met at basic training. Basic training now lasts 10 or 12 weeks. Once you complete basic training, you are then sent to your Advance Individual Training to learn your job in the military. Again, as with basic training, you are shipped to a new location where you know no one. If you are lucky, some soldiers from your basic training go to the same school. I had two from my unit go to the same training. Again, you will build new friends and your family will continue to grow with your new close friends. Once you graduate from AIT, you are then assigned a unit and you start your tour.”

Upon the completion of your first enlistment, four to six years later, you have earned the status of veteran. “Again, you have earned this designation,” said LTC Smith. “The right to become a veteran comes at a cost. One of the Army’s values is sacrifice. All branches of services have to sacrifice in order to be a member of that service. What did I have to sacrifice during my tour? Countless birthdays that I missed, 22 wedding anniversaries, three Mother’s Days, 20-plus Father’s Days, two high school graduations, one college graduation, and weddings of friends are to name a few. The military thinks more of mother’s day than father’s day as you can see. The mother’s day that I missed were due to deployment. Mother’s Day in the military is treated like Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays. You have to have a very good reason to make soldiers work on that day. I did miss all the above. It caused a strain on my family, but, I knew and my family knew it would cause me to miss important days.”

One benefit of service was ability to travel to many countries. LTC Smith said he has been to Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Honduras and Panama. These were mainly training events or nation building events. He has also been to 37 states within the US.

“I have been able to sightsee at all these locations and have great memories of these locations,” said LTC Smith. “My final trips were to Iraq (we call it the sandbox), Kuwait, and Kosovo. These deployments were like night and day concerning the type of weather. Iraq was sand, heat and then more heat. During my time in Iraq, the temperature got as high as 150 degrees for three weeks straight. But my unit and I still performed our daily tasks. Kosovo was the exact opposite. We got snow upon snow. We got 10 feet of snow in a two-day period. Our living quarters were built on stilts and when we arrived we didn’t know why. After the snow, we knew why. We had to wake up and clean our deck off on the hour to ensure we would be able to get out of our rooms.”

Prior to and upon returning from his deployments to Iraq and Kosovo, LTC Smith said deployment ceremonies were held for units going. “Many politicians spoke as to how proud they were of us, and family members cried both as we went and as we returned,” he said.

LTC Smith retired from the Missouri Army National Guard after 30 years of service as a combat engineer, meaning he has built roads, bridges and buildings for these countries to better the life of their citizens.

LTC Smith acknowledged the service of veterans in attendance who served in WWII, the Korean and Vietnam wars, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan Enduring Freedom, and those veterans who served or are serving without being required to defend this country on foreign soil.

“All these veterans served this country and sacrificed much so we could have the freedoms that we have today,” said LTC Smith. “All veterans, both war and regular veterans have earned the title of veteran. Veterans have and continue to sacrifice a lot for this country. We have seen and been required to do things that even today, many of us have trouble talking about to anyone, even with family members. But we were and continue to be proud of our service to this great country. “

Veterans are brothers and sisters and will defend one another without hesitation. “As a member of the Army, I have made jokes about the other branches of services many time, but just like siblings, we can pick on each other whenever we want,” said LTC Smith. “But if someone not part of the services picks on one of my brothers I have their back just like a brother. This bond is real and as strong as a true family bond.”

He has taken this bond with him as he left the military for retirement.

LTC Smith currently serves as the director of Missouri Military Funeral Honors program, which schedules full military honors for all veterans being buried within the state. This program was created in July 1999 by then-Gov. Mel Carnahan, and LTC Smith has been with the program since its conception.

“I now ensure all veterans in Missouri receive the funeral honors they have earned and deserve,” he said, noting that in Missouri, the program coordinates approximately 9,600 veteran services a year. “What I ensure is that each veteran in Missouri gets are the Rifle Volley Salute, sounding of Taps and flag-folding and presentation of the American Flag that they served and defended. These events are very emotional for all. If you have ever attended one, you will see soldiers in uniform and veterans both pay a last honor to their fallen comrade. It is my honor to ensure that all veterans receive this if they request it.”

Missouri is the only state that provides full honors for its veterans, LTC Smith said, adding that all the other states provide only Taps and flag-folding and presentation.

“The reason Missouri created this statute is veteran service organizations members are declining,” said LTC Smith. “A concern arose, who would provide honors for me once I pass? Prior to 1999, only the local American Legions, VFW or other veteran service organization were providing this honor. But as their members were becoming smaller, Missouri said, ‘We will ensure you too receive this honor.’ Other states have visited Missouri and are in the process of mimicking our program for their veterans. I am proud to assist them, because all veterans have earned this last honor.”

LTC Smith wrapped up his comments with a quote from Fr. Denis Edward O’Brien, USMC. He said “It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press; it is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech; it is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to demonstrate; and it is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose casket is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.”

Winners of the Voice of Democracy essay contest at Fatima were Jenna Reinkemeyer (second place) and Bridgette Veit (first place).

Veit’s essay is entitled “We the Dreamers,” and reads as follows: Harry S. Truman, 33rd president of the United States, once said, “America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to the job at hand.”

“Truman summarized the entire American culture in these simple two sentences,” she read. “The American culture can be summed up, but should not be defined by a number of words. To me, what makes America great is the American spirit, our unprecedented privileges and freedoms, and the determination of its citizens to live our their own version of the American dream.

“American greatness can begin to be defined as the American spirit. Every person has their own American spirit, but for most people, it is the belief of Americans that their determination cannot be beaten by our old rivals. Even when this country was in the Revolutionary War, about to be defeated by Great Britain, George Washington rallied his troops’ American spirit, and ended up beating this powerful force. America has survived many wars, countless controversies, multiple threats, and numerous attacks on our flag. Even through all of this, our American spirit has survived.

“The United States has many aspects that differentiate it from other countries. For instance, our country has freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly and petition that allows our citizens to speak, practice religion, assemble peacefully, and disagree with the government. Even though we have these rights, citizens must use them responsibly in order to avoid causing controversy. “American citizens also have many exceptional rights. Americans have the right to vote, the right to a fair trial, and the right to run for political office. These freedoms and rights make America unparalleled and greater than other countries who do not have these opportunities available for their people.

“Only in America can someone start with nothing and achieve the American Dream. That’s the greatness of this country. Each person in this country has their own version of what this should be. For some, it could be to become rich, for others to find love, and still others just crave success. It can be simple and fundamental, or as complex as to be free to become whoever they want. Many people have different opinions about the American dream, and some think it has become a nightmare; some think it should be simple, while others think it should be determined by God. Regardless of what people think, every citizen in this country is determined to live our their own version of the American dream.

“America has many things that make it great. The citizens’ American spirit, the unique freedoms and rights, and the determination of every person to live our their own version of the American dream. When Truman said, ‘America was not built on fear,’ he was trying to summarize his version of American greatness. My version of American greatness can be defined as, ‘America has survived because of the determination, spirit, and uniqueness of its residents.’ Without these people, America would not be as prominent as it is today.”

Winners of the Patriot’s Pen essay contest at Fatima were Taylor Bax (third lace) Nadine Schmitz (second place) and Ava Laughlin (first place).

Laughlin’s winning essay is titled, “What Makes America Great.”

Equality, one word that makes our country whole. We all each other as equal because we are equal. In my perspective, America is great because of the people who live here, equality, and the right to choose who represents our country.

The most respectful aspect about America is the equality we show to others. First, we accept everybody for who they are. We don’t discriminate against people for their lifestyle and choices they make. Second, we help people out no matter what they look like. If somebody needs help the cross the street, we step up and make sure they make it safely to their destination, no matter who they are. Equality proves to be one of the things that makes America great.

Another thing that makes America great is the people who live here. We pay our respects to the people who have fought for our freedom. We stand up for the National Anthem and say thank you when we meet veterans. We send supplies and letters overseas to show our gratitude. Americans also try to make our country a safe and welcoming place to live. We try to keep our communities a safe place to feel welcome and live. America’s people sure make our country great.

The people who live here are great because of the right to vote. People, age 18 or older, have the option to vote for who represents us. We can vote all the way from the president of the United States to voting for sheriffs. We get to make an educated decision on who we think should help America thrive. The right to vote makes America great.

America is great because of its citizens, equality and the right to vote. Americans all stick up for each other and take a stand. I really do think America is great.

Monday’s program also included performances by the Fatima choir and band.