The Longmont Rotary held a special meeting to honor veterans of every branch and every war on Tuesday.
The keynote speaker was Gene Schiferl who is a veteran of the U.S. Army.
Schiferl provided a history of the U.S. military dating back to the Revolutionary War. During this war in 1775, the Continental Army, Navy and Marines were established to defend against the British Empire. Each branch was disbanded in 1784 after the Treaty of Paris was signed.
The U.S. Army was formed later that year, followed by the U.S. Navy in 1794 and the U.S. Marine Corps in 1798. The U.S. Coast Guard was established in 1915 after combining two groups, the Revenue Cutter Service and the United States Life-Saving Service. The U.S. Air Force was later established in 1947. And the newest branch, the U.S. Space Force, was established in 2019.
In addition to giving a brief history of each branch, Schiferl honored each branch’s veterans by leading the Longmont Rotary Club in singing each branch’s song.
The Longmont Color Guard was in attendance and presented the American flag along with the flags of each branch of the military.
Members of the club brought friends and family who had served in the military and paid special honor to them by recognizing their service.
Schiferl also recognized Vietnam Veterans with a special pinning ceremony, welcoming them home and thanking them for their service. Schiferl said that during the time of the Vietnam War, serving in the military was not seen as a noble thing. When these military veterans returned home, many were not honored or accepted with open arms as veterans from World War II had been.
Schiferl will host another pinning ceremony at the American Legion 32 on Saturday, to honor more veterans from this era.
