Veterans are America’s defense against a dangerous world and one of our most reliable sources of hope.
That was the message Attorney General of Maryland Anthony Brown delivered to Laurel servicemen and women Nov. 8 at the second annual Veterans Day Appreciation Breakfast.
Warmed by omelettes and old friends, the atmosphere was lively at the Partnership Activity Center, the police department’s community center, where a large screen displayed the American flag.
Brown’s speech reflected the nation’s fraught history and its hope for a more perfect union. He was joined by Laurel Mayor Keith Sydnor, whose Navy career involved four deployments to the Middle East, and Deputy Police Chief Mark Plazinski, also a Navy veteran, along with other community leaders.
Testimony from Laurel resident retired Master Sergeant Elizabeth Helm-Frazier about the significance of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion earned a standing ovation and a lasting round of applause. The battalion was the first Black women’s unit to serve overseas in WWII, sent there to handle a backlog of mail, according to Smithsonian Magazine. Helm-Frazier said that the work of recognizing the battalion’s service is on-going. She is pushing for the battalion to be honored with a commemorative stamp.
In a follow up interview with The Laurel Independent, Brown acknowledged there is more work to be done across the political spectrum to uphold the country’s position in the world. He described the nation as imperfect but vital.
“I mean, Europe was rebuilt after World War II because of United States leadership,” Brown said. “We’re not perfect, right? And there are things that we do, both at home and abroad, that … we should all question and challenge and doubt, but the sum total of this nation is greatness, and that there’s no other nation in the world that has ever led the way that we do.”
“We’re not perfect,” Brown repeated. “But we seek to promote peace and stability more so than any other nation in the world.”