By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — As a young boy, Scott Dickinson was in awe of his father’s career.
He recalled being a child looking through his father’s Army scrapbook.
He couldn’t believe his father was a soldier in the United States Army.
Dickinson, who followed in his father’s footsteps, is now a Sergeant first class in the Army.
He spoke to a room full of veterans at the Hefner VA Medical Center about his father during its Veterans Day ceremony Friday.
Dickinson also talked about the sacrifices many in the military have made through service.
Dickinson’s father served in the military, but never saw combat.
“On this Veterans Day I think of my father who is very ill from colon cancer. My father is a veteran of the United States Army,” Dickinson said.
“I still saw him as a hero,” Dickinson said.
He hopes his daughter, Kensey, looks at him with the “same sense of pride that I felt for my father when I was a young boy,” Dickinson said.
He also said a special thank you to the families of veterans who’ve made sacrifices and contributions to the country.
“We must never forget that when a young man or woman leaves home, they leave behind a mother, father, husband, wife and, most importantly, their chldren,” he said.
“These loved ones make huge sacrifices while maintaining their everyday lives,” Dickinson said.
He thanked the veterans in attendance for their services.
“It’s a great honor,” he said following the ceremony.
Dickinson said it’s important for the younger generation to understand and know the freedoms they have are possible because of the older veterans.
Each year, veterans who are members of the Rowan County Veterans Council are nominated and presented awards at the ceremony. This year’s recipients are:
• Veteran of the Year: Homer Robertson
Robertson served in Vietnam.
“A lot of us weren’t treated well. We couldn’t wear our uniforms (when we came home),” he said.
On Veterans Day, Robertson said he is thankful to those who served before him.
“I want to help serve those who broke the pathway. If I see them, I thank them for their service,” Robertson said.
• Chaplain of the Year: Lyman Hoover
“It’s been a great honor,” Hoover said of serving as the chaplain.
He’s been with the American Legion for 35 years. He served in the Korean War. After military service, Hoover worked at the Hefner VA as a painter and in the kitchen, he said.
• Service Officer of the Year: Lewis Reid
Reid visits with veterans in Rowan and Cabarrus counties who are sick and shut-in whether at the hospital or the veteran’s home.
He hopes to gather a support system for homeless veterans. Lewis said someone should be at the funeral of a homeless veteran.
“Remember that if there were no veterans they might not have a country,” Reid said of teaching youth the importance of Veterans Day.
Reid served in Korea and at air bases in Alaska.
Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.