Today, BOCA along with the rest of our country honors the many brave women and men who have served in the United States military. We celebrate Veterans Day yearly on Nov. 11. This date is significant because it commemorates the armistice, the truce, that ended World War I. This happened at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918.
Many of us here at BOCA have family and friends who are Veterans, including BOCA founder, Kathleen Shanahan. “I am so proud to be the wife and daughter of veterans. My husband Christian served in the United States Navy and my father was in the United States Army. Their service and sacrifice allow us to enjoy the many freedoms we so often take for granted. I appreciate them today and every day,” said Shanahan.
In addition to Kathleen, our BOCA team has many family members that are U.S. Veterans. BOCAteer Janet Sauter’s uncle served, as did Taylor Byers’ grandfather, who was a Marine. Sammy Totah, BOCA Partner, is the nephew of a Veteran and his brother currently serves in the Army. Both of my grandfathers served in the military, as did my husband’s grandfathers. In this country, you’d be hard-pressed to find a person that does not have ties to the United States military. For many families, like BOCA HR Director, Wendy Brittain, the service spans generations. Wendy’s dad served in the Navy, her grandfather served in the army in WWII, Army, her great grandfather was in the Army in WWI, and it continues all the way back to her 5x great grandfather who served in the Revolutionary War. Serving in the United States military is one of the most selfless ways to defend our country and preserve our freedoms and it is because of these men and women that the United States military is the most powerful in the world.
There are so many ways to honor Veterans, and while our country makes it a priority to do so every year on this day, we need to do better. Veterans have given so much to keep us safe and ensure the freedom that many other countries do not have. We owe it to them to make sure they are taken care of in return and receive support as needed once they return home. Today BOCA says THANK YOU to all veterans. Thank you for your bravery, your courage and your sacrifice.