Typically at the Fairbury VFW and American Legion, Tuesday is taco night. But with Veterans Day falling on a Tuesday this year, tacos were subbed out for soup and sandwiches and an annual service member celebration that’s been held here for half a century.  

Songs, solace and celebration. Some of the themes from the latest annual Veterans Day celebration hosted Tuesday night at the Fairbury VFW and American Legion. With more than a hundred veterans and their families in attendance, this ceremony made it a point to highlight former members of every branch of the armed forces, and all those who served in conflicts of all eras, from World War II to the 21st Century.  

The keynote address resonated well with an audience of veterans and their families. It was delivered by Justin Fulton, the priest at St. Michael's, Fairbury’s Catholic church, and son of a Vietnam veteran. Justin recalled how his father Bob, decades after he returned home from Vietnam to Auburn, Nebraska, was in the hospital for a week, suffering from things he was exposed to on the battlefield. He was struggling, but all he thought to ask about was the status of his friend and neighbor Phil, who was recovering from a heart attack.  

“I had seen what Agent Orange had done to the man. But looking back on it – I suppose with an element of faith and some prayer – I realized that that war didn’t kill dad physically, it didn’t kill him mentally, and it certainly didn’t kill him spiritually,” Fulton concluded in his address. “If anything, that Agent Orange did what dad always wanted to do, and at the end he could say he did it: all he cared about was his fellow man.” 

This is a part of the state that has worked hard to foster a deep connection with the many active service members, and their descendants, that now call Southeast Nebraska home. A team of volunteers plants flags all around the downtown square on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and again on Veterans Day. The county commissioners hold a ceremony recognizing a local Veteran of the Month, which they like to say is one of their favorite parts of being on the board.  

"Jefferson County is an extremely veteran-oriented county, and we do our best to take care of the veterans that we can, as best as we can, and to honor the veterans that we have, to honor the people we feel should be," Veterans Service Officer James Carpenter said. "It’s just a way to honor the country, the honor the soldiers, and just bring a lot of focus onto government, in a positive manner."

Presentation of a Quilt of Valor is typically part of those monthly county Veteran of the Month ceremonies, and it was Tuesday night as well, with two veterans - Warner Krumme and Brian Smith - and their wives receiving an item that serves as both a literal and spiritual embodiment of comfort and solace.  

“The Quilt of Valor is a way for us to say something mere words can’t express: thank you for your service, your sacrifice and your valor. Thank you for putting your life on hold to serve. Your quilt of valor  is our appreciation of your fulfillment of your duty from a grateful nation,” said Barb Schmidt, a local member of the national Quilt of Valor Foundation. “The small group of quilters were elated when they made their 100th quilt – today, there have been more than 420,000 of them given away. And right here in our area between quilters here in Fairbury and in Thayer County, we’ve been working for about ten years now and we’ve done over a thousand of them.” 

The VFW also honored Stan Schiermeyer for his 15 years of service to the VFW and the color guard.  

Of course, a night dedicated to celebrating those who once served in the military and have since returned home included time to memorialize the many more who weren’t able to be there. Taco Tuesday will return to the Fairbury VFW next week, with many other events still to come before Veterans Day next November.