By Ryan Berry

DailyAdvocate.com

GREENVILLE — Local veterans were honored at the Great Darke County Fair with the annual Darke County Fair Armed Forces Veteran’s Day Memorial Service. The event was held in front of the Grandstand with several service organizations and honor guards from around the county participating.

This year’s guest speaker was Dave Miller, a Vietnam veteran from the Versailles American Legion Post 435 and Versailles VFW Post 3849. Miller is an Army combat veteran and a huge supporter of the military. He proudly participates in parades throughout the area with the Freedom Drivers. Members of the organization own military vehicles and bring attention and honor to the service men and women at parades, schools and other military events.

Miller geared his speech toward patriotism and family. “When I got home, I went to Arlington Cemetery,” he said. He explained he had a friend killed in battle. “When I saw the pain and suffering those families went through, crying and kneeling and some fainted, because there were all kinds of funerals going on at that time. It just stuck with me forever. I thought, well, I’ve got to do something so these people are not forgotten,” he said.

He relayed a story about a woman who came to a flag ceremony, and she brought ice every day and filled up coolers at no charge. He said when it was over, he asked her what inspired her to do that. Choking back tears, Miller said her answer was, “My dad was killed in Vietnam, and I never go to know him.”

Miller shared a story of his return home from Vietnam. He was in a bar and several guys were calling him a “baby killer” and other derogatory names. They started to walk over to him, and he stood up, all 150 pounds of him. As he was getting ready to do whatever was needed to be done, the guys walked away. He looked behind him and there were three or four Marines standing there. “That’s what the military is about,” he said. “We stick together. It doesn’t matter what branch you’re in.”

Miller assured attendees that patriotism isn’t dead. “I know today it is trying sometimes.” He said he sees patriotism in every event he attends.

Units attending the memorial service were Versailles VFW 3849, Versailles American Legion Post 435, Osgood Post 588 and Sons of the American Legion Post 588, Hollansburg Post 708, New Madison Post 245, Greenville Post 149 and VFW Post 7262, North Star Post 174, Ansonia Post 353, Fort GreeneVille Daughters of the American Revolution working as a Vietnam Commemorative Partner.

Members of the Versailles High School Choir, under the direction of Mason Demange, sang the National Anthem and God Bless America. Melissa Fowle, American Legion 3rd District Chaplain, provided the invocation and benediction. Jim Kammer, American Legion County Adjutant & Finance Officer, introduced the units, and Ron Mescher led the Pledge of Allegiance and served as emcee for the event.

To contact Daily Advocate Editor Ryan Berry, email [email protected].