Pictured above, Col. Mark Jordan gives his keynote address “Freedom is not easy,” at the 2023 Veterans Day Program Saturday in Henderson. Pictured below Veterans gathered near the “Field of Flags” on the Chester County Courthouse lawn after the program for a photo with Col. Mark Jordan. Pictured in front, left to right, are Danny Eldridge, Gary Lewis, Col. Mark Jordan, Paul Voucher, Larry Lambert, John Dawson and Ashley Thompson. Pictured on the back row, from left, are Donald Thompson, Leo Lambert, William Newman and Chris Dunbar.
By Kendall Patterson
The Henderson|Chester County community joined the nation in honoring all of those who have served and fought for our country on Veterans Day, Saturday, November 11.
Henderson native, Colonel Mark Jordan, was the keynote speaker for the Veterans Day program.
Col. Jordan is the Director of Aviation and Safety for the TN Army National Guard, serving as the State Army Aviation Officer, responsible for managing all Army Aviation assets within the state. He has served the TNARNG full-time since 2007.
“Freedom is not easy” is the title of the keynote speech that addressed honoring the veterans of our armed forces.
Col. Jordan told the audience “The Recipe for a Successful Life” that he recently heard and believed it closely aligned with the qualities of a veteran, but it was lacking one key characteristic.
“Having thick skin. A good sense of humor and a strong work ethic. I bet most of us agree that this list is very closely aligned with the attributes of a veteran we’ve known and served with. I would add to this one final ingredient – love,” he said. “I’ve witnessed veterans demonstrate love like no other group I’ve been a part of. Love for their country. Love for their service branch and unit. And above all, love for each other.”
Col. Jordan quoted John 15:13 – “There is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13.”
And love like that is not easy. Thus, Col. Jordan told those in attendance that – “It’s our duty, as a grateful nation, to honor the sacrifices of our veterans. Not only in words, but also in action.”
“It’s on all of us to demonstrate the honor our veterans deserve. It’s easy for us to celebrate one day a year, or to say thank you when you encounter one of our nation’s heroes. We should certainly all do that, but there’s got to be more. The lesson our veterans teach us is not confined to the battlefield. Their spirit, dedication, and sense of duty should inspire us in our daily lives. We must stand together as a united community, ready to face the challenges that come our way, just as our veterans stood together to protect our freedom. Those who don’t wear the uniform of the American military can still serve and be part of the fight. Just as our military honors the highest level of bravery with the Medal of Honor. American citizens can be awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal to recognize citizens of the United States of America who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or other fellow citizens. Though most veterans never achieved the level of recognition of the Medal of Honor, they strove for greatness simply by serving with bravery and sacrificing for others. Likewise, we’re probably not going to find ourselves at the White House receiving the Presidential Citizens Medal, but we can, daily, live our lives as citizens who love this country, striving to conduct our lives in a manner that’s worthy of the many sacrifices that have been made on our behalf… We owe it to this country, to our veterans to do all we can to remain involved in the fight for freedom.”
Before Jordan’s speech, Kirbi Fahs of the Chester County Exchange Club – Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse read the names of the veterans who were honored with a flag in the “Field of Flags” on the courthouse lawn.
Each flag represents the life of a patriot, and is a way to honor and remember, while saying thank you for their service.
You can listen to Colonel Jordan's speech in the audio file below.
