South Florida salutes those who have served in the armed forces on Veterans Day
FORT LAUDERDALE - Cities and towns across South Florida saluted those serving in the U.S. military and those who have served with special ceremonies and parades on Veterans Day.
Sindy Indacochea, who served in the U.S. Navy for nearly 22 years, and her family attended a Veterans Day ceremony in Davie at Veterans Park on SW 39 Street which honored military veterans and those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
"There's so many who didn't come back. I'm one of those who came back to my family so I'm thankful for that. I was emotional when they played taps," she said.
Several veterans of the Vietnam War recalled their less than hospitable welcome when they returned stateside. They said that's why ceremonies like the one in Davie are so important.
"Coming back to a very negative time was difficult to assess. It's appreciated now. When a Vietnam veteran sees another one he says 'Welcome back'. That's our own little way to show appreciation to each other," said U.S. Navy vet Steve Amarant.
Vietnam vet Jeffrey Novak said Veterans Day is unifying.
"Vets of today implement the courage and the faith that Americans have to come together and go ahead and support each other and honor the veterans," he said.
The vets said a good thing about the day is that it serves as a reminder to say thank you, not just on Veterans Day but every day.
Just days from his 100th birthday, WWII Army vet Bernard Starkman spoke about his time on the front line. He fought in The Battle of the Bulge.
"An awful lot of people in there were killed in that battle, American soldiers about 19,000," he said.
While we honor Starkman, he says he did nothing special.
"We were there, we did what we had to do and that's it," he said.
When he returned stateside, he married Edith, a Holocaust survivor. They were married 40 years, until she passed away. Then the love bug bit him again — marrying his second wife Florence. She died in 2015.
Starkman shares his secret to longevity, something we can all get on board with.
"Eat chocolate!"
