Honoring veterans

CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- Veterans always pay a price, says Matthew Coleman, a former Green Beret.

"We as veterans share a common thread," Mr. Coleman told a crowd gathered Wednesday in Johnston Park for a Veterans Day observance. "That thread is that we understand freedom isn't free. It comes at a cost. For some, the cost is physical. For others it is emotional. But for all of us that cost is a loss of innocence."

Veterans often bury their emotions, but they can teach others by sharing them, said Mr. Coleman, an attorney who spent 12 years as a Special Forces medical sergeant.

"I call on veterans to make this your service out of uniform, to use those experiences you have learned from to teach others for the betterment of ourselves, our community and mankind," he said.

Also on Wednesday, veterans and current military members also gathered with Cleveland High School students around a giant American flag in the school gymnasium, with students cheering as veterans' names were called out.

The combined veterans groups in the Cleveland area named Herbert Stafford this year's recipient of the Raymond H. Miller Patriotic Award.

An Army veteran of 21 years, including a tour of duty in Vietnam, Mr. Stafford was honored for his many community projects and active work with veterans organizations.

Cleveland High School teacher Bedford Smith, who served four years in the Army's military intelligence division, was the high school's keynote speaker. His son is now serving in Iraq.

He told students and others that all veterans, including those who never served in combat, have sacrificed a period of their lives for the country.