Land of the free because of the brave

This November 11th is Veterans Day. Celebrate this day as we give honor and tribute to every soldier who has bravely and willingly fought to keep our country safe.

Throughout our years of being Americans we have lived pretty easy lives. But it’s not easy for the ones who keep it this way for us. We have many veterans here at Palisade High School. One of these veterans is our very own, Greg Hawkins. Mr. Hawkins has served in the United States Air Force. He says, “I got stationed on a training base in Oklahoma. There wasn’t a lot of activity. It was a base where they trained pilots with the big cargo planes but I worked on the radios for the air traffic control towers. We talked with the radar room that talked with the pilots coming in so I worked on the radios coming back and forth.” Being in the military is not easy. It takes a lot of diligence, work, and bravery. Mr. Hawkins says, “Anybody that joins the military is basically willing to sacrifice their life for the country. For me, I didn't go to combat but if they would have asked during the time then I was willing to do it. You’re all in when you join the military. It's the commitment and willingness to serve.” Mr. Hawkins adds, “The cool thing about the Military is the comradery. Everyone has a service mentality. They are willing to help people all the time.”

Don’t forget to give recognition to our amazing veterans this Veterans Day.