Troy recognizes Veterans Day

TROY — The Troy community came out to honor its own this Veterans Day in a variety of ways both personal and public.

The city of Troy hosted its traditional salute to those who served in Veterans Plaza, outside of City Hall. A wreath was laid, a rifle salute was performed, and music was provided by the Heritage Concert Band of Troy.

“The city of Troy loves our veterans. We are so proud of the sacrifice they gave to our country. Troy has a long history of hosting this Veterans Day ceremony, where we get to recognize our service members from various branches,” said Troy Mayor Ethan Baker. “We also lit up City Hall this week to celebrate Operation Greenlight, which is a program in which counties across the country are demonstrating appreciation and support for America’s veterans by decorating their buildings with green lights.”

Baker said he was proud to have a number of veterans present at the program, both in the audience and as speakers.

“We’ve got some special people here today. I’m very honored we have Master Sgt. Julia Nobles and World War II veteran Art Fishman, who has been recognized as Michigan Veteran of the Year for 2022.”

Fishman, a U.S. Navy veteran from Oak Park, has long been an active member of the veteran community in southeast Michigan and said he hoped he could help some of those who served feel recognized and ensure those who gave their lives for their country are remembered.

“It’s a day of remembrance,” remarked Fishman. “This is especially important to me because of my age. I have lost so many friends because of age. That’s why the World War II memorial we’re working on in Berkley is so important to me. I want people to see things like that and ask who it is for and what does it represent. I hope people remember those who came before them and gave all they could give.”

His hope is to help bring remembrance and closure to those who are still reeling from their time in the service and may have had a difficult transition back to civilian life.

“People called our generation ‘the Greatest Generation’ because we went in there and we did what we had to do. We were recognized in that way, but I feel bad for Korean and Vietnam veterans, because they were not treated right,” said Fishman. “For what they did, they weren’t treated the way World War II veterans were, and I want people to take steps to honor the veterans from those conflicts — and others — as well.”

Nobles, a member of the U.S. Air Force serving at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base, also spoke to the crowd.

“I want everyone to remember all the vets and to be thankful for the service they have given to their country. Many paid the ultimate price and gave their all. It is a very selfless profession, and they should be recognized.”

Across town, the Troy School District hosted several programs in honor of Veterans Day. The third grade students at Hill Elementary School interviewed several veterans, sang them a song and then had an all-school parade to thank the veterans for their service.

At Boulan Middle School, seven veterans came in for a special presentation to the eighth grade students.

“We’re all from General Motors and are part of the GM Veterans Employee Resource Group,” explained retired Army Col. George Baker. “My three sons graduated from Boulan Park Middle School years ago. It’s become a tradition where we come here and we teach the eighth grade classes for an hour each. We teach them about our experiences in the military, both good and bad, and why we entered the military and how that experience translated into successful careers at General Motors.”

The group has been taking part in a program at Boulan Park since 2010. They had to skip two years for COVID-19, but were able to call in on a video call those years.

“We all do different things at GM, and we all did different things in the military, and we think the message is resonating with the kids. They are understanding what Veterans Day is all about,” Baker said. “It’s not just about glory and yelling ‘hooah.’ It’s about sacrifice and is a job that needs to be done so our democratic principles can remain intact.”

Michelle Slaviero, the social studies teacher at Boulan Park who coordinates the program, said the staff hopes getting to meet a wide range of veterans from a variety of branches and backgrounds will help them get a more complete picture of what the U.S. military is like.

“I think it’s important to note that there’s a diverse collection of veterans here from different branches and who performed different duties and who are both men and women,” she said. “We have a very diverse student body and we want them to see themselves in our veterans.”

She believes having students be able to speak directly to veterans and hear their experiences firsthand can be a significant educational experience.

“The students can learn from (teachers), but there’s nothing like hearing from people who worked and sacrificed for all of us to really bring that message home,” Slaviero. “I think this is one of the best ways we can recognize Veterans Day.”