California Freemason - August/September 2010

EDI TORIAL

Kenneth G. Nagel,

Grand Master

Let’s give thanks and never forget them

am pleased and honored to dedicate this issue to all
the men and women of the armed forces, past and
present. Their devotion to our country, to keeping us
safe and free, and to our right to the pursuit of happiness is
felt every day by every one of us, the citizens they protect.

Although the traditional observance of Veterans Day is Nov. 11, I have tried to remind everyone through my talks this year that Veterans Day is 365 days a year.

We must never forget the sacrifices by the men and women of our military on behalf of each of us. We have the opportunity to go about our daily lives in peace because they stand watch to protect us from harm. They do it around the globe and for many, far away from their families for months on end. They do it for love of their country, their communities, and their neighbors. And they do it without asking for anything.

When I started on this year’s grand journey, I wanted to use my position to give thanks in some small measure to my father, my father-in-law, and all those brave men and women who gave of their service and for many, the ultimate sacrifice of their lives. Not knowing exactly what venue that thanks would take, I was introduced to the nonprofit organization Honor Flight, thanks to Brother Richard Wing, a past master of Palo Alto-Roller Lodge No. 346 and registered nurse at the VA hospital in Palo Alto.

The program was exactly what I was looking for. Through the efforts of Brother Doug Ismail and his staff in the Grand Lodge office, we established a similar program: Operation Greatest Gift. My goal was to send as many WWII veterans as possible to visit their magnificent memorial, erected in 2004. It is a place where our veterans can reflect on the past, honor the living and the dead, I

and say good-bye one last time to their fallen comrades. We estimated that if we could raise some $400,000, we could send 600-plus veterans on this beautiful venture.

I had a simple vision, and I was sure the craft would respond. But I had no idea how overwhelming the support would be.

Eight months later, my vision has become a reality. At the time of writing this, through the unparalleled generosity of our lodges and brethren, we have nearly reached our fundraising goal. Almost 400 veterans have taken the trek to Washington, D.C., with many more to follow. Dozens of our brothers have volunteered to accompany the trips as guardians, to ensure our veterans are safe. Many others have volunteered to get our veterans to and from the airport. And two of our staff, Joyce Hahn and Denise Avila, have been amazing in handling all the logistics to make the trips possible.

All have embraced this dream, and the outpouring of love and generosity has been deeply felt. Since the trips commenced, I have received three to four letters or e-mails daily from veterans and guardians. They talk about the experience and their amazement at how many people — adults and children — came up to give thanks, hugs, and kisses. With heartfelt emotion, they each give thanks for being given the experience.

But it is our glorious veterans who deserve all the thanks — thanks from a grateful nation. We have been the beneficiaries of their efforts and their service. It is our pleasure alone that they be honored.