Letters: Welcome home, veterans; Thank you, Lake Wylie, for voting yes to park plan

Welcome home, veterans

Welcome home is personal to me. My neighbor’s son was murdered during 9/11 and needed someone to take her to a political rally honoring the victims. It was just before we went into Iraq. Frankly I had already been to seven 9/11 funerals for friends and relatives. I worked, I was tired and my wife knew I did not do rallies. Still she prevailed and I escorted our friend Pat to a rally of 1,000 in Oyster Bay, N.Y., where we lived at the time.

During the rally when asked for a show of hands by veterans, specifically WW II, Korea and Vietnam veterans, I raised my hand. I was wearing a Navy hat my nephew and his wife had sent from their Air Force base. We were also asked to raise our hand if we had a family member serving and to please introduce them at the podium. As I was waiting my turn at stage to present my nephew as the best back seat driver of an F-15 Strike Eagle, a Navy petty officer in camouflage saw my hat and said “Hey Navy, Vietnam vet?” I said yes. He said, “Welcome home.”

It brought a tear to my eye for I realized it was the first time anyone ever said that to me personally. I was so grateful I had listened to my wife. Our friend Pat really appreciated what I had done, and I realized it was time for me to step out of the dark Vietnam shadow and make sure what happened to us did not happen to the vets that would be coming home from the new war.

When Louis and I opened Bagel Boat I realized what a great opportunity we were given to say thank you to veterans. That’s why we do our free coffee on Veterans Day and our Welcome Home Cards throughout the year. We have a place in our hearts for all of our veterans and first responders. Welcome home!

Thank you, Lake Wylie

For everyone who came out to the polls and voted, thank you!

We are getting a park! This park has been in the making for 12 years, not something a few just threw together overnight. It had to go through 11 years of County Council and one year before the community.

For those of us who worked on it, we gave countless hours for something we all believed would make our community better. But, this park is not just for one park, it is for recreation throughout our area. It represents HOPE! It’s vision. It’s investment. It’s future. We can’t be all things to all people, but it’s a start.

We are building community. A much-needed commodity. We live in an amazing place. Young and old, wealthy and poor, educated and uneducated, but we all have this one thing in common - we want Lake Wylie to be a better place to live today, and in the years to come. By voting yes, you gave hope in an area that has been seemingly forgotten by the county for years.

Your vote proved we can have a voice when we bind together, be it zoning, water utilities, schools, history and yes, parks. Thank you to those who voted yes for making a difference in the lives of children and families. You made history Nov. 8. The best is yet to come.

This story was originally published November 21, 2016 at 2:28 PM with the headline "Letters: Welcome home, veterans; Thank you, Lake Wylie, for voting yes to park plan."