by 
Veterans honored by the student leadership at CAC-Aravaipa Campus. Nina Crowder | Copper Area News
Copper Area News
The Student Leadership of Central Arizona College (CAC) held a spaghetti dinner in honor of the local veterans. The Kearny ROTC attended in their military gear to show their support to our veterans. The guest speaker who has been inducted in the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame served in the US Army and is currently a member of the American Legion Post 48, Joe Aguilar.
Aguilar said, “It is an honor and privilege to speak at this college regarding Veterans Day, I have been here the past three years and I enjoy coming. To me anyone who wears a title and is a veteran we are proud of them. We love them, we are grateful for their service we are their friends, families, coworkers it’s up to us to make sure every veteran is appreciated by their fellow Americans. The easiest way to thank them for their service is to walk up to them and offer a handshake and thank them for their service to our country.”
Aguilar also read the following poem, “A Simple Soldier”:
He was getting old and paunchy and his hair was falling fast and he sat around the Legion telling stories of the past, of a war that he had fought in and the deeds that he had done in his exploits with his buddies; they were heroes, everyone. And ‘tho sometimes to his neighbors, his tales became a joke, all his buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke. But we’ll hear his tales no longer, for old Bob has passed away and the world’s a little poorer, for a soldier died today.
No he won’t be mourned by many, just his children and his wife, for he lived an ordinary very quiet sort of life. He held a job and raised a family, quietly going on his way; and the world won’t note his passing; ‘tho a soldier died today.
When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state, while thousands note their passing and proclaim that they were great, papers tell of their life stories from the time that they were young, but the passing of a soldier goes unnoticed, and unsung.
Is the greatest contribution to the welfare of our land some jerk who breaks his promise and cons his fellow man? Or the ordinary fellow, who in times of war and strife, goes off to serve his country, and offers up his life? The politician’s stipend and the style in which he lives, are sometimes disproportionate to the services he gives, while the ordinary soldier, who offered up his all, is paid off with a medal, and perhaps a pension small.
It’s so easy to forget them, for it was so long ago that our Bob’s and Jim’s and Johnny’s went to battle, but we know it was not the politicians, with their compromise and ploys, who won for us the freedom that our country now enjoys. Should you find yourself in danger with your enemies at hand, would you really want some cop-out with his ever waffling stand? Or would you want a soldier who has sworn to defend his home, his kin, and country, and would fight until the end?
He was just a common soldier and his ranks are growing thin, but his presence should remind us, we may need his likes again. For when countries are in conflict, then we find the soldier’s part is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start. If we cannot do him honor while he’s here to hear the praise, then at least let’s give him homage at the ending of his days. Perhaps just a simple headline in the paper that might say:
“OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING, FOR A SOLDIER DIED TODAY.”
Written by A. Lawrence Vaincourt 1985
As the attendees enjoyed Aguilar’s speech and the spaghetti dinner prepared for them. Everyone enjoyed a real treat as Andrew Madrid took out his guitar and shared a story of his brother being in the armed forces and he wanted to find a way to thank his brother for his service, so he wrote and sang a beautiful song dedicated to his brother.
The Veterans Event was well attended and the CAC Student Leadership prepared a nice celebration. Thank you for all the people who attended and the hard working Student Leadership for volunteering their time to make special events like this one take place.
Nina Crowder is a resident of Mammoth. She volunteers in several local organizations. She covers events throughout the Copper Corridor and Superior Town and School governance.
by by