Senior Veterans Honored at Clay Gardens Place

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Veterans Day has arrived and local organizations
came together to honor area senior veterans this morning.

A celebration was
held at Clay Gardens Place in Zanesville as the Veterans Appreciation
Foundation, Shriver’s Hospice, and the Muskingum Chapter of the
Daughters of the American Revolution provided gifts to veterans in
attendance.

Michael McHenry,
Retired Brigadier General with the Veterans Appreciation Foundation,
says the celebration was held to remember and honor senior veterans.

“What we’re
doing here today is celebrating the service of our veterans for all
of our senior veterans; who’ve not been able to attend an event or
come down to the Veterans Day parade. So, we can come out and see
them and say ‘thank you for your service’.”

Among other veterans, Tuskegee Airman John Nelson was honored this morning. Nelson was 19 years old when he entered the service.

“They made sure
nobody gets away with anything. Everybody—you’ve come here to do
time; you’re going to do time, boy. Believe that—you’re going
to do time. I’ve got to tell you—I was always kind of gung-ho.”

While Veterans Day
only comes once a year, Mary Ann DeVolld, with the Muskingum Chapter
DAR, says those who serve should be honored each and every day.

“I think it’s
important that we remember these veterans every day. You know,
Veterans Day is a time that we’re all reminded—but, we can’t
forget them ever. We have to always, always be aware of their
presence here and what they did when they served. And just to keep
educating our children is so important; and I think it’s being
done.”

According to the
Department of Veterans Affairs, there are currently 18.2 million
veterans in the United States.