Rows of crosses honor fallen soldiers from Hillsdale County. Tayte Christensen | Collegian

The sound of taps rang out as Hillsdale American Legion Post 53 held a rifle salute at a Veterans Day ceremony in front of the Hillsdale County Courthouse Nov. 11.

“We not only honor the Armistice, but the men and women who have served and continue to serve in the greatest military the world has ever known,” Gary Easterling, the director of the Department of Michigan American Legion, said in his keynote address. “Our message to American veterans past and present is simple: we will never forget.”

At the event, hosted by the Hillsdale County Veterans Affairs Office, Easterling told the stories of two veterans, one from World War II and one from the Vietnam War, who both died in 2024. He said they are eyewitnesses to historic events that the country loses each year.

“One responsibility that all Americans should carry is the remembrance of those who have made our freedom possible,” he said.

Easterling said it is important for every American to express gratitude to veterans, including the friends, family, and neighbors in their life.

“It is up to us to ensure that every veteran believes that his or her service to this country is respected by their fellow Americans,” Easterling said. “There are many tangible ways that we can acknowledge their sacrifice, but the easiest is to simply say, ‘Thank you for your service to our country.’”

During the ceremony, the Hillsdale High School marching band performed the national anthem and the Hillsdale High School choir sang “America the Beautiful.”

Following the performances, members of the Daughters of the American Revolution U.S. 12 Heritage Trail Chapter placed wreaths around the city veterans monument. 

“Veterans Day is all about honoring those who have served, and we can remember our family members as we do that,” said Ann Schmidt, regent of the DAR chapter.

Schmidt, whose father served in the Navy, said every member of the chapter has a relative who served in the Revolutionary War.

“We are patriotic because of that person, and we pass on our patriotism and our service to our country because of those people,” Schmidt said.

Hillsdale County Commissioner Mark Wiley, an Army veteran, served as master of ceremonies for the event and said he is thankful for the recognition this event gives to veterans.

“Yesterday I was at my grandson’s hockey game. I was sitting there, wearing this veteran hat, and he took his glove off and he reached out and he said, ‘Thank you for your service’ — and he’s an 8-year-old,” Wiley said. “That’s the thing we don’t want other generations to forget, and that’s part of the reason we have these services.”

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