Senior group honors veterans in our midst

Gary Shear (left) and Jeff Schaffer (right) demonstrate the proper way to fold a flag for presentation, while Chuck Steele (center) reads the meaning of each of the 12 folds.

On Thursday, the Manchester Area Senior Citizens Council, Inc. celebrated and honored local veterans.

Starting in the morning with a veterans-inspired ecumenical bible study led by Pastor Dillon Burns of the Manchester United Methodist Church, the seniors then honored all veterans present with a free noon lunch including ham, scalloped potatoes, vegetables, salad, and all-American apple pie. (Senior lunches are normally a bargain at just $4 per person for all those over 55, and $4.50 per person for anyone younger!)

Jan Steinhauer, activities director for the seniors, arranged this “veterans day” in April simply as a way to recognize and thank our local veterans for serving our country and our community.

“We want to thank them now for all of their service,” Steinhauer said. “Even though Veterans Day is officially in November, we can recognize and appreciate our vets any time of the year.”

A patriotic floral arrangement donated by the Flower Garden was raffled among the veterans in attendance. The winner was Jeff Schaffer, a Vietnam Era veteran who served in the Army from 1968-74.

American Legion Post #117 members Jeff Schaffer, Gary Shear, and Chuck Steele, gave a respectful presentation of the meaning of the folded flag that is presented to every veteran’s family upon their passing. Shear and Schaffer demonstrated the proper way of folding the flag, while Steele read the meanings of each fold:

• The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.
• The second fold signifies our belief in eternal life.
• The third fold is made in honor and tribute of the veteran departing our ranks, and who gave a portion of his or her life for the defense of our country to attain peace.
• The fourth fold exemplifies our weaker nature as citizens trusting in God; it is to Him we turn for His divine guidance.
• The fifth fold is an acknowledgment to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right, but it is still our country, right or wrong.”
• The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
• The seventh fold is a tribute to our armed forces, for it is through the armed forces that we protect our country and our flag against all enemies.
• The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor our mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day.
• The ninth fold is an honor to womanhood, for it has been through their faith, love, loyalty, and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great have been molded.
• The 10th fold is a tribute to father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since he or she was first-born.
• The 11th fold, in the eyes of Hebrew citizens, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
• The 12th fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost.
• The last fold, when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God We Trust.”

Steele also displayed a 48-star flag that had been donated to the Legion post for retirement. Instead of retiring this particular flag, he decided to preserve it as a memento for the post.

“There are not too many of these flags around any more,” Steele commented.

After the flag folding, Steinhauer introduced Michael Smith and David Saims of the Washtenaw County Department of Veterans Affairs. As veterans’ advocates, both Mike and Dave have a passion for helping every veteran, and his or her spouse, get the benefits they deserve.

Dave and Mike are both accredited by nine different veterans’ organizations to assist those Washtenaw County resident veterans and their families, who may need to claim educational, disability, spousal, caregivers’ or survivors’ benefits. They described several of the numerous benefits that may be claimed and how to get in touch with the County Veterans Affairs office. Their office is located at 2155 Hogback in Ann Arbor (near the intersection of Carpenter Road and Washtenaw Ave), and the office accepts walk in clients between 8:30 am and noon Monday through Thursday. Appointments can be made from 1-5:30 pm Monday through Thursday. Call 734-973-4540 for more information or to make an appointment.

Some of the vets in attendance on Thursday, besides Schaffer, included MASCC president Larry Lehmann, who served in the Navy during the Vietnam Era. Gary Shear also is a Vietnam Era Army veteran.

Chuck Steele, a veteran from the Korean Era, shared that he might have the longest basic training of anyone! His training started at Camp Custer in Battle Creek; continued at Fort Gordon, GA; and then was interrupted by a lengthy troop-train before being completed at Camp Cook, CA.

David Ballard was a Navy veteran who served during the Korean Era. He served from 1955-58 and after an extended discharge in Beirut, Lebanon, went on to a 36-year career with United Airlines.

Thank you to all veterans, from a grateful community, and thank you to Jan for organizing this great tribute and informative, fun day for the vets and seniors alike!

Schaffer holds a completely folded flag for presentation. The stars uppermost on the flag remind us of our national motto, “In God We Trust.”

Shear and Schaffer display a 48-star flag. This flag dates back at least 60 years, prior to the addition of Alaska and Hawaii to our nation in 1959.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.