Veterans Day, originally known as Armistice Day, was a holiday to honor the end of World War I, which was officially over on November 11, 1918. In 1938 legislation was passed that November 11 was “dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day.’ This legal holiday was set to honor all World War I veterans.  In 1954 veterans service organizations urged the 83rd U.S. Congress to amend the Act of 1938 to change the word “Armistice” to “Veterans” to create a holiday that honored all American veterans.  According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, “Veterans Day is not a day that belongs to veterans. It is a day to honor all veterans,” and for this reason, the apostrophe is left out of the word veterans.  From 1971 through 1975, under The Uniform Holiday Bill, Veterans Day was held on a Monday, just like Memorial Day. This was done in an effort to promote travel and tourism for the extended weekend, but it was not well received. The American people wanted to commemorate the historical significance of the day. On September 20, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 to return Veterans Day to its original date beginning in 1978 and continuing through today. Preserving the date’s historical significance helps us focus on the importance of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

November 11th allows Americans to honor and celebrate the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our county. It’s our day to acknowledge and pay respect to the bravery of all U.S. veterans. VCC would like to take this opportunity to recognize and say thank you to two of our own who bravely served our country.

Jessica Woelbling has been working for VCC since 2017 and is currently in Post Development.  Her Military career spanned over 24 years of service, starting at age 17 when she was accepted into the US Air Force Academy. After graduating with a BS in Political Science and a Minor in French, she was commissioned as a 2nd

Lieutenant in the US Air Force by the age of 21. After training at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, MS, Woelbling was sent to Clark AB, Republic of the Philippines, and Mountain Home AFB ID before being deployed to Riyadh AB in Saudi Arabia for Desert Storm. After Desert Storm, Woelbling was stationed at Tyndall AFB FL, and Offutt AFB, NE as a newlywed and then transitioned to the Louisiana Air National Guard in New Orleans. Woelbling and her husband spent five years in New Orleans working their dream jobs, where she became the first AF officer in LA to serve as TAG’s (The Adjutant General) executive officer. Woelbling’s final 6 years in the Air Force were spent in Tucson, AZ, where she transitioned to the Reserves. At the time of her retirement in 2010, Woelbling was Lt Col in the USAF Reserve. The majority of her career was spent working in personnel and administration. Over 24 years enlisted, Woelbling married, had two daughters, and earned the

Meritorious Service Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters, AF Commendation Medal with 4 oak leaf clusters, AF Achievement Medal, AF Outstanding Unit Award with 5 oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, and Expert Marksmanship Medal for both M-9 (pistol) and M-16 (rifle). Woelbling’s youngest daughter is following in her footsteps and is currently a freshman at the Air Force Academy.  Her time in the military taught her discipline, organization, and an eye for detail, while always maintaining a willingness to learn.

 

 

Michael Brown has been with Veterans Care Coordination for eleven months as our Salesforce Administrator/ IT. Brown enlisted in the Army at the age of 17, prior to graduating high school. He was sent to Fort Benning, GA, in August of 2007 for Basic training and OSUT (One Station Unit Training). After graduating in late November, he attended Airborne School and was then assigned to the 25th Infantry Division. By February of 2008, he was stationed at Schofield Barracks, HI, where he was assigned to the 2nd BN 27th Infantry, Delta CO. 4th Platoon.  Brown’s unit was deployed to FOB (Forward Operating Base) Summerall in the Bayji province of Iraq by October 2008 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom 08-09. His platoon was tasked with various duties while in country such as QRF/TST duties.  QRF or quick reaction force is an armed military unit capable of rapidly responding to developing situations and typically assist allied units in need with TST or Time Sensitive Target. Brown was then located to a company operated outpost outside of his Battalions area of operation for the remainder of his deployment in Iraq.  By October 2009, he returned to Schofield Barracks, where he was stationed until medically discharged for injuries sustained while on deployment. During his time in the military, Brown received the Iraqi Campaign Medal (2 Stars), Army Commendation Medal, and Combat Infantryman Badge.

Brown currently resides in Missouri with his fiancé and their two children.  He credits his military training for teaching him how to compose himself while using his experiences to continue moving forward in life. Brown recognizes the Army for instilling his moral compass and values.

 

 

sources and photo credit:

https://www.military.com/veterans-day

https://www.military.com/veterans-day/history-of-veterans-day.html

https://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetday_faq.asp#:~:text=Veterans%20Day%20does%20not%20include,day%20for%20honoring%20all%20veterans.