Mayor Dale Janway would like to think Veterans Day is every day in Carlsbad, but it's important to make the annual observance stand out.
To that end, Janway is delighted to honor Vietnam veterans Dennis Bankson and Tim Messett as special guests for the Nov. 11 ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park.
"Our community looks forward to welcoming Bankson, Messett, and their families with open arms and thanking them for their service," Janway said Nov. 9 in a column for the Carlsbad Current Argus.
A community-wide effort led to the purchase and installation of a Huey helicopter in Carlsbad Veterans Memorial Park during the 2020 Veterans Day ceremony. The mayor said Bankson and Messett are making a special trip to Carlsbad to see the Huey, considered the workhorse of the Vietnam War. Both piloted different helicopters during the Vietnam era. Bankson will serve as the guest speaker.
"They also plan to tour Carlsbad Caverns National Park," Janway wrote in an Oct. 31 column. "Please help us make these Vietnam War veterans and their families feel very welcome."
The ceremony begins after the parade, which starts at 9:30 a.m. at the CMS Administration Building. The parade will head to South James Street before moving on to Carlsbad Veterans Memorial Park.
Veterans Day is when servicemen and women, dead or alive, are honored for their service. Interestingly, the veteran population has been declining for decades. According to the latest figures from the 2020 Census Bureau, between 2000 and 2018, the veteran population decreased by one-third from 26.4 million to 18 million.
The decline is expected to continue at a rate of 2.5 million over the next decade. The data also indicate that by 2040, there will be 12.9 million vets living in the United States, less than half of the high of 28.6 million in 1980.
The Census report indicates the median age of veterans is 65, with Vietnam and World War II vets averaging 71 and 93 years old, respectively. Post-9/11 veterans are the youngest, with an average age of 37.
