This week’s bouquets go to:

From Susan Holiday:

Invisible No-More (XXVI Honor Flight for Women of Valor)

A grateful and much needed thank you goes out to the board, the volunteers, friends, family members and Escanaba businesses who joined in the celebration to honor and support the timely efforts to bring mission XXVI, an all-Women Honor Flight to Washington DC to visit the score of veteran memorials for a day.

An employee of the Iron Mountain VA read a poem “Being Invisible”. What touched my heart and mind, is that for my time since military and civilian retirement, women and I, across the U.P., have been invisible to each other as well choosing to be just that to other veterans. I am told that there are some 3,000 women veterans in the Upper Peninsula.

Women have been the invisible component in the military for generations. They often hide their service because of the stigma attached to their choice. Sister veterans were denied acknowledgement and veteran rights, even when they served in a combat zone. Even my uncle a WWII veteran said unflattering things about my choice in 1974 when I enlisted.

You may sit their and be disgruntled with the veteran’s administration, life is not perfect. There are veterans who are lost in the system. If you have a DD214 you are a veteran. It is not a perfect system. Even our constitution says ‘We, the people in order to form a more perfect union’.

Remember JFK stated, ” Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”. Ask yourself what as a veteran or civilian have you done to make yourself visible, to our veteran partners sisters and brothers as well as the supportive personnel?

Susan (Sue) Holliday, 906-235-8532 susanholliday83@gmail.com

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Each Saturday the Daily Press salutes individuals and groups from our area who have had a very positive impact on the way we live.

We identify our bouquet recipients in one of two ways: from Daily Press news pages and from nominations sent in by our readers.

Mail us a postcard or letter identifying your nomination and putting into detail what they’ve done. Include your name, address, and phone number. Send nominations to Saturday Bouquets, The Daily Press, 600 Ludington Street, Escanaba, MI 49829.

They may also be sent to us by going to our Web site, www.dailypress.net, and clicking on the submit news button. Once there, click on “Bouquets” and follow the simple instructions.