Wood had a great idea

A letter was printed in this newspaper Feb. 11, 2012, headlined “Dedicate the 4th of July to Iraq War Vets.” In it, Larry Wood of the Butte suggests to the governor and other state officials that this year’s Fourth of July celebrations be dedicated to Iraq War veterans and their families.

I agree with this idea and second the motion. Not for myself, mind you — I am a veteran of that war — but for my fellow veterans, for their families, and most of all, the Gold Star families who have lost precious loved ones in battle. We must honor their sacrifices publicly. We must honor them all.

As Wood points out, some cities in the Lower 48 have already done so, such as St. Louis. Other cities and states are planning to do the same with the encouragement of various veterans groups. I support these calls to action. I believe Alaska should take up Wood’s suggestion with enthusiasm and vigor.

There is just one catch. If we do this, and I believe that we should, then we must do the same thing for those who have served and are currently fighting in Afghanistan. That war isn’t over yet. Frankly, I can’t wait for that one to end and all troops to come home from the entire region — for good. Until that hoped-for day, let us concentrate on those whose war is finally over. Never forget that many of these veterans have served in both conflicts, and many may still go back there until that fateful day when both wars are, thankfully, history.

While both of these conflicts have been controversial in many ways, we must never forget those who have served did so voluntarily. We must never forget the struggles and sacrifices made by their families as well, allowing the soldier, sailor, airman and Marine to go overseas and fight. As a soldier, I know what I put my family through when my turn came up. It was not easy for them during my yearlong tour of duty in Iraq. They are my heroes, and I would love to honor them in some way. Wood’s suggestion is a great way to do just that.

But we must convince the governor and the rest of the state’s officials to do the right thing. Gov. Sean Parnell can make this happen. All of our state’s elected officials can make this happen. A simple resolution or proclamation is all that is needed to start the ball rolling. We, as Alaskans and as Americans, owe a great deal of thanks for the services and sacrifices made by those who fought over there and the families who endured their absence.

So call the governor, e-mail him, write letters to all the newspapers, have pieces done on TV and radio. Put the word out, we have only a few months to make this happen. If the governor does the right thing, we can have the time needed to arrange things in our villages, towns and cities across this state.

I humbly ask Gov. Sean Parnell and our state senators and representatives to consider Wood’s idea to declare by resolution or proclamation that July 4, 2012, is “Iraq Veterans Day.” This encourages all communities across this state to dedicate their Fourth of July parades to those who served over there and to the families who supported them. Let them march in those parades, give special attention to those Gold Star families, and let us all honor them properly for their sacrifices on our behalf.

This is not about politics, or any ideology. It is about doing the right thing. Since our government has been slow or even mum on this, we need to step up and make it happen. Wood came up with a brilliant idea, I’m just putting the word out to keep it alive.

Wasilla resident Daniel D. Grota retired from the U.S. Army after more than 21 years of service.