On Veterans Day, Clarksville-Montgomery County is authentically patriotic

The following is a commentary from the desk of Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts:

It always makes me proud to hear our Fort Campbell family members frequently say that, Clarksville-Fort Campbell is one of the best duty stations in the U.S. Army.

Very often, they tell us they love to come here and live in this community, because we are a city that not only welcomes them, but embraces them and their loved ones as family. Here, they don't have to struggle just to fit in. It's an automatic, and understood form of acceptance.

And, we have a daily sense of pride and authentic patriotism in Clarksville that isn't found just anywhere.

I do believe this to be true, and I believe that it is a mutual relationship, fueled by a willingness to learn, and grow together in our understanding of each other, both military and civilian.

Clarksville stands up and listens to our military community when its core members speak about the importance of patriotism, and guarding our American freedoms.

We listen, and more importantly, we put it into practice.

There is much we can all learn from those in uniform. My cousin, Doris Watts, served multiple tours in Vietnam and was proud of his service in the U.S. Army. I'm always reminded of this story about him:

When I was first elected to office in 2006, Doris pulled me aside and said, "Joe, wearing a flag on your lapel doesn't make you a patriot or an American. What makes you an American is what's in your heart", and he tapped me on the left side of my chest.

I'll never forget those words, and I try to remember Doris every Veterans Day, especially since he died in 2011 from his illnesses related to his service in Vietnam (principally Agent Orange exposure).

Many veterans who are stationed at Fort Campbell often choose to stay here, or return here, when their service is done. The comparative statistics prove this to be true.

Clarksville-Montgomery County has a current veteran population of 34,046, second-highest among all Tennessee counties, and equating to a total, combined economic impact of almost $889 million. That's according to our community's Montgomery County Veterans Service Organization (VSO).

The VSO mission is really our mission as a total community - "... to serve veterans, eligible dependents, and surviving spouses of all eras, through passionate advocacy, service support, counseling, and informative outreach."

In doing so, the VSO further reports that we, as a community, are leading the state in total claims compensation for veterans, at a combined, nearly $618 million.

What this means, in essence, is that veterans and veterans' family members who reach out to all of us in Clarksville-Montgomery County, get support, and answers for their questions and needs.

That is something we can all be extremely proud of. Because it is absolutely the right way to treat those individuals who go into harm's way to protect our freedoms.

We are eternally grateful and indebted to our veterans, and we must always be there to support them and their families when they need us.

Even when they don't necessarily need us, may we embrace them into the cumulative fold of one community, one family, where everyone from all walks of life and every background has equality of voice, and opportunity.

Thank you veterans, on this designated holiday on the calendar, and throughout the year … for in Clarksville, we know that, every day is Veterans Day.

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