Veterans honored, share their message at Laredo College

Among them is Dr. Michael Bailey, a Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director who served seven years in the U.S. Army and 23 in the U.S. Border Patrol.

The decision of joining the military was taken from Bailey from his indecisiveness of knowing his desired career to pursue. However, staying still wasn’t an option, so he decided to enlist.

Bailey said it is important to always remember everyone who served — especially the ones who made the ultimate sacrifice such as Barkley Cantu — and not only to recognize veterans and cadets but also to keep in mind their loved ones.

“It’s always good to recognize the veterans, because often they tend to get shuffled to the back of a lot of things,” he said. “Life is busy, and life moves on. This kind of event brings veterans back to the front and lets them get the recognition that they deserve.

“It is also about the families of veterans, because whether they’re deployed or just in active service and in a peacetime, the family still suffer and go through the trials and tribulations with the veterans. So it’s good to bring the attention and the focus back to the veterans, and hopefully it’s not just a single day. Hopefully it keeps a reminder and keeps it fresh in our minds.”

Bailey said he always had the sense of serving people, as he was raised in a family with history of military service. He said it was an honor to be a veteran of the U.S. military and that by representing an entire nation, you can be so much more than yourself.

Part of Bailey’s service occurred in Germany, where WWII remnants are still there. He said that seeing part of U.S. history on foreign soil gave him a sense of reality and a broader view of the actions that were done during the time.

In the same way, Alma Edwards, fire science instructor at Laredo College who also served in the U.S. Marine Corps., was present at the event. Edwards was very happy for the recognition given to veterans, especially the ones fallen in service such as Barkley Cantu.

After the tragic events of 9/11, Edwards was moved, and she decided to join the Marines to be able to help the country.

“I was very young,” she said. “I was 17 years old, and I decided to join because of that drive that I had after everything that happened from 9/11. At the time it happened, I was just a kid. I wasn’t able to serve but at that time, so it wasn’t until I was 17 and graduated from high school that I decided that it was my opportunity to do my part.”

Both veterans stated that the values that it takes to be a veteran are the desire to help every citizen and fight for their rights and freedom. These are certainly something the community has demonstrated it can be very thankful for.

karol.garcia@lmtonline.com