MADISON, Wis. — Community members made their way to the Capitol on Friday for a Veterans Day concert and ceremony.
Gov. Tony Evers was in attendance and stressed the importance of taking care of veterans throughout their civilian lives.
“We must make sure that service members making the transition from military service to civilian life have all of the access to resources they have earned,” said Evers.
He proclaimed that Nov. 11 is Veterans day and Nov. 5 to 11 is Veteran Recognition Week in Wisconsin.
“We can never serve Veterans the same way they served us, but ensuring that we have a safe place to call home, family supporting job and mental health support is the least we can do,” said Evers.
Alan Hembel is a member of the Madison Veterans Council and hosted Friday’s event.
In 1972, Hembel enlisted in Madison’s ROTC program. Hembel said he is happy to say he willingly decided to serve his country.
“That is really what service is all about. It is respecting people and doing your job so they can do theirs,” said Hembel.
Hembel said he typically has trouble on Veterans Day trying to figure out if he should be happy for what he fought for or sad for the friends he lost.
Often, when people ask him about his time in the military, he says that he “wouldn’t sell it for a million bucks and I wouldn’t buy it back for a nickel and you know on a given day, that really says it all. “
“It gives you such responsibility and shows you things that you would never get to experience without being in it,” he added.