On Friday, the mall held its second annual Veterans Appreciation Day which included a ceremony, unveiling of its Veterans Honor Wall and kicking off this year’s Trees of Gratitude program.

Ahead of the unveiling of the Veterans Honor Wall, Layton City Councilmember Clint Morris addressed the audience.

“Those rights and freedoms and our way of life that we enjoy don’t protect themselves,” he said. They must be defended, preserved and passed on to future generations. As a nation, we have chosen to place that responsibility in the hands of an all-volunteer military force. Men and women willingly step forward and raise their hands to serve their country, knowing full well that doing so may require tremendous personal sacrifice. That’s something we should never take for granted.”

He noted that Davis County has a very large concentration of veterans.

Rob Nielsen, Standard-Examiner

“Here in Davis County, we are fortunate to have nearly 15,000 veterans living among us, with close to 5,000 here in Layton City,” he said. “Think about that for a moment — thousands of our friends, neighbors, co-workers and family members that have answered the call to serve. Each has a story, each has made sacrifices, and many have families who have sacrificed right alongside them.”

Also speaking Friday was Operation Hero founder Antoinette Stapley.

“Thank you is not enough, to be honest,” she said. “Because every day we should be telling you thank you, and every day we should be asking about your stories. And I hope that you will stand and share your stories with our younger generation, because it is important that they understand and know what you went through.”

She added that the community backs every veteran, no matter when they served.

“As we go on tonight, I hope you know that you are loved, you are respected and that you know that our community thanks you for all of your service,” she said. “Whether it was in Vietnam, Desert Storm, World War II, Afghanistan, we thank you for your service and what you’ve done for our country.”

Rob Nielsen, Standard-Examiner

Stapley’s organization Operation Hero has partnered with the mall for Trees of Gratitude where, according to a press release on the event, “guests are invited to honor veterans, active-duty military members, first responders, or fallen heroes by writing their hero’s name on a tag, attaching it to an ornament, and hanging it on one of the decorated Christmas trees in Center Court. The trees will remain on display through Dec. 27.”

Friday night’s keynote speech was delivered by local U.S. Army veteran Kenny Conners, who started off by sharing the significance of both Friday’s ceremony and the upcoming observance of Veterans Day on Wednesday.

“Today, and on Wednesday, November 11, it is about something bigger than just a uniform, a branch of service or a particular award,” he said. “Today is about commitment, it’s about sacrifice, it’s about answering a call to serve, something greater than ourselves. And most importantly, it is about the men and women who raised their right hand, took an oath and made a promise to defend this country.”

He said that it’s important for everyone to understand that veterans served not only for a multitude of reasons, but have also filled a multitude of roles.

“I want everyone to understand something — not every veteran experienced combat,” he said. “Not every veteran went overseas. But every veteran honorably served has a responsibility, a mission, a commitment to this country, whether they were an infantryman, a mechanic, a medic, a pilot, a cook, a communications specialist, a truck driver or worked behind the scenes, their job mattered. Our military doesn’t work because of one person, it works because people depend on one another. Something that we have forgotten for a while.”

Rob Nielsen, Standard-Examiner

Conners also shined a light on what the experience of transitioning out of the military is like for veterans.

“For many, the transition is one of the most difficult things in their lives,” he said. “Think about it — for years, their lives revolved around structure, discipline, responsibility, teamwork and a mission. They know their job. They know their fellow service members. They know what is expected of them. Then one day, they turn in their equipment, take off their uniform and walk out the gates for the very last time. And suddenly, they’re expected to figure out what comes next.  They have to find employment, provide for their families, adjust to civilian life and I will tell you, that’s not easy. And sometimes they need to learn how to fit into the world that doesn’t always understand what they’ve experienced. Some deal with injuries, pain, PTSD, depression, or other challenges. Some struggle to find employment that recognizes the skills that they developed in the military.”

He also said it’s important to keep the families of veterans in mind.

“Let’s not forget about the families,” he said. “Spouses who held everything together while the loved ones were deployed. Children who grew up with a parent away. Parents who worried about every time the phone rang. Military service is a family serving sacrifice as well. That is why our responsibility to veterans cannot end when the military service ends.”

Conners closed by saying it takes everyone to maintain the freedoms that veterans have sacrificed so much for.

Rob Nielsen, Standard-Examiner

“Let us not forget that freedom is not something we should take for granted,” he said. “It is something generations of Americans have worked, sacrificed, and sometimes given their lives to protect, so let’s honor our veterans, not just with words today, but with our actions tomorrow. Let’s take care of one another. Let’s respect one another. Let’s get involved. Let’s be heard. And let’s work together to leave this country stronger for the generations who come after us.”

The Veterans Honor Wall at Layton Hills Mall will remain on display through Veterans Day.