Author encourages folks to write down, preserve veterans’ stories

At Firth High School on Monday, hundreds of military veterans gathered with students and community members.

The message was one of remembrance.

“I think it’s very important that we get all the the stories down,” said author and guest speaker Rob Morris. “There are a lot of veterans, and not a lot of people writing the stories.”

Morris said in every corner of the military family, there are countless untold stories.

“When the veterans die, the stories are gone,” said Morris.

Morris is the author of a book called ‘Untold Valor,’ which includes the accounts of World War II veterans.

Morris spoke to a crowd of hundreds at Firth High School on Monday.

He had a simple plea:

“Find a veteran, hear their story, and write it down,” he said.

U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Master Sergeant Kenneth Tucker was there on Monday, too. Tucker fought in Vietnam. He said when he came home, there was no fanfare, but the feeling of support from so many today means more than anything.

“It wasn’t like World War II,” he said. “In World War II they had parades and everything, to welcome them back. It was not that way with Vietnam veterans.”

But today is different. Dozens of veterans, including Tucker, received special awards. The community orchestra boomed with the theme songs of each military branch.

It all rested on that one idea.

“By reading their stories, by learning about the hardships they endured, it helps us understand the freedoms we sometimes take for granted,” said Morris.

The assembly included a special award to local members of the all-Japanese American battalion who served during WWII.