by Carly Henderson
Helen paused Tuesday to say “thank you” to the men and women who’ve worn the nation’s uniform, hosting a Veterans Day luncheon that brought together service members from across and outside of White County.
The City of Helen hosted the luncheon indoors this year. The event is usually held at Riverside Park but was moved to the dining room of City Hall due to inclement weather.
Veterans and their families enjoyed hamburgers, hot dogs and other refreshments as their service was celebrated. Pastor Steve Smith of Helen First Baptist Church welcomed guests and prayed over the meal.
“We want to celebrate each and every one of you who are veterans,” Smith said. “Thank you for putting your life on the line so faithfully and so selflessly. Thank you for being here.”
Veterans from different branches shared stories from their time in service. Bobby Dyer of Batesville served in the Army from 1965 to 1968 as a combat engineer. He was also a Spec 4, a more casual term for the Army rank of specialist, pay grade E-4.
Army veteran Jordan Gonzalez of Tampa, Florida, also attended the event. He served from 2002 to 2014, completing three tours in Iraq, and is a combat-injured veteran. He currently works as a Veterans Service Representative at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
“You feel appreciated,” Gonzalez said of Veterans Day events. “You feel ... it’s an honorable thing to do.”
Vietnam veteran Larry Hall of White County was a sergeant in the Marine Corps and served two years. Hall acknowledged the difference in how veterans are treated now compared to when he served.
“We get treated a lot better now than we did in the past,” he said.
Dyer added, “People just didn’t acknowledge you.”
Both Dyer and Hall referenced government benefits and simple “thank yous” from passersby as examples of this improved treatment.
The luncheon at Helen City Hall was one of several events held in White County on Tuesday to honor local veterans.