ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala. -- Maj. Paul Thiessen spoke at Anniston Army Depot's Veterans Day Ceremony Nov. 7 at the installation's Physical Fitness Center.
Before a crowd of Veterans from each branch of the military, Thiessen discussed a friend he knew who died serving his country, how the state of Alabama led the way in celebrating Veterans Day and his high hopes for future Veterans.
"My primary job is to develop young Americans," said Thiessen, who is a professor of military science at Jacksonville State University.
He began his message with a personal plea to the crowd to support the Nov. 9 Kyle Comfort 5K run/walk at McClellan. Thiessen knew Comfort, an Army captain who died in Afghanistan in 2010.
Returning to the topic of Veterans Day, Thiessen spoke about how impressed he is with the way the state of Alabama embraced Veterans Day.
"This state has been celebrating it for 66 years, starting in 1947," he said.
As a child growing up on a variety of military bases, Thiessen has traveled extensively, but found his home here in Alabama first at Fort McClellan and later at JSU.
He spoke about Raymond Weeks, a WWII Veteran who was so impassioned about the creation of a national Veterans Day he led the push all the way to the White House and then-President Dwight Eisenhower.
"Because of his unrelenting commitment to honor those who bravely served the United States during times of war, the first national Veterans Day event was held in 1947 in Birmingham, Ala.," said Thiessen.
He encouraged the depot workforce to be proud of Alabama's heritage with Veterans Day.
Thiessen then turned his thoughts from the past to the future -- looking from the Veterans of wars past to those who will serve in uniform in the years to come.
He told of a cadet within the Reserve Officer Training Corps at JSU who wrote an essay on Warrior Ethos after watching film clips from Black Hawk Down and other sources.
The essay discusses how a Soldier's sense of duty doesn't allow them to leave anyone on the battlefield, but drives them to attempt to bring their fellow warriors home.
"The army values are completely different from that of a civilian's values. Army people all shed the same blood, sweat and tears; so leaving a comrade behind is completely unacceptable," said Cadet Taliza McQueen in her essay.
"I get the privilege to see this every day," said Thiessen of the cadet and the thousands like her who will be taking up military traditions in the future. "I don't take it for granted."
Also participating in the depot's program were the colorguard from JSU, which posted the colors for the ceremony, and Gadsden City High School's drill team, which performed for the crowd.
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