Thursday was a day of recognition around the nation as the country celebrated Veterans Day, with ceremonies taking place all over the United States.
The Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park held their own ceremony in their Hangar Building along the waterfront of Downtown Buffalo on Thursday to honor and recognize all veterans that fought and served for their country.
While a number of prominent local officials were in attendance, along with many veterans who spoke with the gathered group, the guest of honor on Thursday was former U.S. Army Sergeant First Class, William Roland Hayes.
Hayes is a decorated veteran after serving several years in the military, including time spent in Vietnam where he received the bronze star, three purple hearts and other medals for his service. Originally from Lackawanna, Hayes joined the 101st Airborne Division, and ended up being shot twice and being hit once with grenade shrapnel.
Following his honorable discharge in 1968, Hayes served in a number of different roles, including as a citizen soldier in the reserve and national guard of the Army, served as a human relations instructor in the Air Force reserves and a drill instructor in the Army for 10 years.
When Hayes looks back on Veterans Day every year, he thinks of the camaraderie he shared with the many men he served with, and those he may have never known but fought with anyway.
"You have these individuals together that you may not know, but they're off to your left, they're off to your right, and they're looking out for your benefit as well as you're looking out for theirs. For a soldier to do that, that's a heck of a sacrifice," Hayes said. "When you have a soldier, that you don't even, know come to your rescue, that's a heck of a thing to do. That's a heck of a situation to be in. And again, that's why I look at myself as being happy that I am a soldier, because being a soldier meant that we are together. Yes, we might not realize or like the situation we're in, but we're in there together. If you want to go home together, we have to fight together to get back together."
"Sacrifice" was a key word that Hayes used in his time speaking with everyone on Thursday. He knew what it was to sacrifice during his time in the military, and he understands that every person who is serving, or has served, has sacrificed something.
"You fight for the country - even if you didn't fight for the country - what did you do? You sacrificed, because you went into the military. You sacrificed, and that's what it's all about. Sacrifice," Hayes said. "Every soldier, every airman, every naval person who joined in the military, it was about sacrifice. Sacrificing their time for somebody else. Sacrificing their life for somebody else."
Although Veterans Day is a time to honor and recognize the men and women who served for our country, Hayes knows it's more than the recognition for the veterans. He took the time on Thursday to also thank some people that helped him following his service in Vietnam, and noting the importance of those veterans organizations that help others in their time of hardship.
"If it wasn't for the veterans hospital, I wouldn't be here right now," Hayes said. "I was a big sufferer from post-traumatic stress. If you looked at me wrong, I was going to slap you. I was always in some type of scuffle, all you had to do was just look at me. I had to find out why I was like that, and if it wasn't for the V.A., I wouldn't be here today. They told me all my little triggers that I had and I had to make sure that those triggers, I wouldn't pull them."
While also thanking those organizations for their help, he also emphasized the importance of other veterans helping one another out. Hayes ended up doing just that by becoming a greeter at the VA Hospital in Batavia to help ease the veterans who came to the hospital who were also suffering from post-traumatic stress.
Another organization Hayes gave a shout out to on Thursday was WNYHeroes, who have been helping feed veterans in the area for the last six months.
"That's what veterans do when we help other veterans," Hayes said. "Being up here is a very humbling experience. All I want to say is, thank you veterans from all wars.
"If you see a veteran, wherever you see a veteran, you should take the time out to say thank you for what [they've done]. They've done a lot, and they've sacrificed a lot."
You can listen to the entire ceremony that took place Thursday morning below:
