Submitted Content
To the editor:
I have a unique experience this time of year. Memorial day has just past, and Father’s Day is around the corner. I say unique because my father is both my parent, and a U.S Army Veteran.
He served in Vietnam from 1968-69 with the 101st airborne Screaming Eagles. He was only 18 years old and volunteered for the draft. But he also is the best father a son could ask for. He is understanding and quiet, but passionate and morally righteous at the same time. He keeps to himself, but fights against things he considers to be unethical and unjust. My father is my role model in every sense of the word, and I am the proudest son in the world when I get to say that my father was a U.S. Army Veteran.
He, and my mother, taught me and my siblings the value of public service. They taught us the importance of helping everyone in the community, because it was imperative for the road to progress. His service in the Armed Forces is a clear representation of the deep rooted connection he has with public service. That there is something in this world bigger than each one of us individually.
We recently went to the Hillsborough Memorial Day breakfast and I was able to see just how much love and support he receives. Not just from me and our family, but from the residents here in Hillsborough. It was great to see the smile on his face when we walked down Beekman Lane with me at his side. Especially considering the lack of a warm welcome many Vietnam veterans received when they came home from the war. This truly was a special reception for my father.
Such a commemorative occasion should and is important for thanking him, and all veterans who have served and those who continue to serve this great country.
I’m writing this letter because I want to thank him for everything he has done for me. It is truly a relationship that has helped me grow, and continues to further me as a person and a citizen of the United States.
Happy Father’s Day Dad, and Happy Father’s Day to all of you out there.
Harry Burke
Hillsborough
