Please join us on Nov. 7, 2010, at 1 p.m. as we gather for the dedication of the Veteran’s Monument in Buckley. The monument is the result of many months of hard work and heartfelt commitment by lots of folks to a very worthy cause. Kudos to Bob Olson, Buckley Arts Commission director, who truly poured his heart and soul into this project.

Bob would say, “No, no thanks to me … it is all for my brothers and sisters who have served, are serving and will serve in the armed forces of this great nation.” And for this reason the work has been on a monument rather than a memorial to the best our nation has to offer. True, the monument will be a place of remembrance for those who gave the last full measure of devotion, but it is also to be a place of celebration and gratitude to those still serving.

So please stop by and say a thank you for those who are ready to give their all so you and I can be free…and remember:

It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag,

And whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protestor to burn the flag. And it is the soldier, who writes a check payable to the citizens of the United States for an open amount, up to, and including his life.

Tim Personius

Buckley