Officials: Veterans’ Needs Must Not Be Forgotten

Tom Binebrink was hard to miss in his purple satin jacket, white hat and two canes to help him walk.  Sixty-six years ago to the day, Binebrink sustained shrapnel wounds while deployed with the 101^st airborne in Germany. 

Binebrink, an Annapolis resident, was awarded the Purple Heart and was instrumental in the addition of The Purple Heart monument to the Crownsville Veterans Cemetery. 

"I think Veterans are being forgotten by America," Binebrink said during Thursday's Veterans Day ceremony held at the cemetery. "It's not like it used to be and it's just not right."

Binebrink, a unit commander in the military order of the Purple Heart, was flanked by his step-daughter, Janice Null, who serves as region 1 president of the Ladies Auxiliary and oversees the Ladies Auxiliary in 11 states on the east coast. 

"Tom worked very hard getting that monument here," she said.  "It was very important to him.  Honoring those who were wounded in combat was what he worked so hard for." 

Honoring veterans and especially drawing attention to their immediate and ongoing needs was the overwhelming theme of Thursday's Veterans Day ceremony.

"Indeed it is a great Navy Day," said Kenneth McCall, of the Retired Enlisted Association, before introducing the day's honored guests and speakers. "The sun is shining, the wind is blowing and we have the Navy band with us." 

Honored guest U.S. Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D) spoke of his two granddaughters and said that they now live in a country of unlimited opportunity because of our veterans. "We need to make sure that the commitments made to our vets are not just made, but also honored," Cardin said before saluting the veterans on behalf of his granddaughters, the U.S. Senate and all freedom loving citizens.

In a letter read on his behalf, U.S. Rep. John P. Sarbanes (D) wrote: "Today we have the unique opportunity to reflect on what our men and women in uniform have given and the depth of their sacrifice."

Veterans from all branches of the military representing many wars past and present were in attendance.  The depth of their sacrifice was physically evident on some of their bodies, but no one can measure the true depth of the sacrificial scars left on their hearts and on the hearts of their families. They gathered in groups of like-minded individuals‑some of them long-time buddies, others meeting for the first time, but all of them sharing a bond unlike any other. A million stories shown in their eyes and in the deep wrinkles of their faces was a lifetime of experiences that only they can fully understand.

The honored speaker of the ceremony was Brig. Gen. Warner I. Sumpter of the Maryland National Guard (Ret.). Sumpter, who grew up in Anne Arundel County, emphasized the importance of recognizing our nation's veterans and rededicating ourselves to helping and supporting them through various organizations. 

"We need to make sure that they are served respectfully and cared for," Sumpter said after recounting a story of a fellow Marine who was lucky enough to get the help he needed from a VA organization. "Now we have veterans from many wars and deployments. Some of them will ask for help and get it, and some won't.  They need us to assist them in healing and in moving forward. That is how we will be judged as citizens of this great nation, by how we take care of our veterans."

Ken McCall concluded the ceremony with a challenge to all veterans. "Share your story with your family.  They need to know," he said. "When a vet dies a library closes. Don't let your story be forgotten."

Under a bright blue sky, wreaths were laid in honor of those who were lost. The Maryland National Honor Guard performed the ceremonial three-volley salute that is performed at military funerals, their deafening gunshots cutting through all of us reminding us of bravery and honor and heroes.  As the wind caught the flags causing them to stand at attention, "Taps" was played by retired Capt. Rick Barnes and even the frailest of us stood in honor of our fallen veterans.