We should always remember to say thank you to our veterans not only today, Veterans Day, but also on days like Tuesday morning when our courageous men and women were recognized for their service to our country.

Retired Master Sgt. Robert Yaeger, an Army veteran, served as keynote speaker as veterans, employees and visitors came together in Josiah White Park in Jim Thorpe as part of Carbon County’s annual Veterans Day program.

A JROTC non-commissioned officer Army instructor, Yaeger thanked Christine LeClair, director of the Office of Veterans Affairs in Carbon County, and the Carbon County Veterans Affairs Office for inviting him to speak.

“Today, like every November since the end of the hostilities of World War I, we gather to commemorate the honorable service of millions of veterans who have served our nation since its inception,” Yaeger said. “Distinct from Memorial Day, Veterans Day still recognizes the solemn sacrifices of our nation’s fallen, but also acknowledges the service and sacrifices of every veteran who has served during the entire history of our country, regardless if they’ve fallen in combat or given their life in service to the country.”

Yaeger pointed out that “2026 is a unique year for milestones and dates of significance for our nation. This year our nation loudly and proudly honored the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, somberly remembered the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and quietly if at all acknowledged the 25th anniversary of our nation’s longest conflict, the Global War on Terror.”

Yaeger noted that “Carbon County and our coal region have a storied history of service and sacrifice. In the past, when our nation called, communities in this area often disproportionately sent more than their fair share. This burden often came with a price. Neighboring Coaldale lost 53 of its citizens during World War II. This sacrifice was four times the national average for American communities.”

Yaeger said our local communities are full of monuments that mark the honored service and reflect and memorialize the values of the communities that erected them, but that unfortunately, even in communities like this that celebrate generations after generations of veterans, the numbers of those willing to serve is “dramatically shrinking.

“Look around at the age and dwindling numbers from our very own veterans service organizations,” he said. “As veterans age, we’ll eventually run out of veterans to fill these honored ceremonial positions they hold in our local parades and military funerals.”

As a veteran of the Global War on Terror, Yaeger said he understands “the immense privilege and reverence my generation of veterans enjoy that many veterans did not experience. Despite the surge in post 9/11 patriotism, an interesting brand of patriotism and culture emerged when once would thank or acknowledge a veteran while at the same time choosing to shy away from or discourage others from service.”

Yaeger noted he joined the Army three-and-a-half months after 9/11.

“When I returned to school, the very first teacher that I told that I enlisted in the Army remarked, ‘But you’re so smart! You could have been anything you wanted!’

“Bodies were still being recovered from the rubble of the towers, and the ink on my contract had barely dried, yet a trusted adult that I respected was shocked that I would choose service over self,” Yaeger said. “If I could be anything, what’s wrong with wanting to be a soldier?

Despite our history and the value society places on service, Yaeger said fewer and fewer of America’s youth are choosing to serve.

“Veterans already make up an ever diminishing 1% subset of our nation’s population that swear an oath to the Constitution and sign the dotted line on the infamous blank check,” he said. “In many ways, America has never been more disassociated from military service or service in general.”

Yaeger closed with a few challenges for everyone he said would show the utmost appreciation to every veteran who ever sacrificed.

“To America’s youth, our nation is deserving of your service, talents, and ambition,” he said. Do not shy away from this most sacred duty. If not military service, find a way to better your communities and serve in any number of ways available to you. Find a way to be a part of something bigger than yourselves and be better for it.

“Parents, friends, colleagues and citizens, support our veterans beyond simple words. Never discourage the service of others.”

Lastly, Yaeger encouraged veterans to continue to tell their stories and share your experiences.

“Never forget your value,” he said. “You are part of what makes this nation so great.”

Along with Yaeger, state Sen. David Argall and Timm Berger, representing Rep. Doyle Heffley, along with Carbon County Commissioner Michael Sofranko addressed the crowd.

Sofranko quoted former President Ronald Reagan, who said that some people live their entire lifetime and wonder if they ever made a difference in the world.

“A veteran doesn’t have that problem,” Sofranko said. “Think about the difference they made.”

The event also included remarks from LeClair, who welcomed attendees to the event and did the invocation, as well as musical selections performed by Angela Nardini.

Palmerton and Jim Thorpe veterans served as this year’s color guard.

LeClair noted that Carbon County Veterans Day events wrap up today with the fifth annual Veterans Day Dinner at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe.