On Saturday, November 11, the U.S. Virgin Island celebrated Veteran’s Day with a parade through downtown Christiansted to the sea.
Representatives from all the branches of military present in the Virgin Islands marched along Company Street accompanied by members of the American Legion and Auxiliary, groups of scouts, ROTC from local schools and kids from the elementary school where the parade kicked off. The route wound through town to the grounds next to historic Fort Christian where a ceremony featuring distinguished speakers and the Cruzan Brass Band marked the occasion.
The Virgin Islands became a U.S. territory in 1917. During World War II islanders were exempt from the draft, but petitioned to join Americans in defending their country. Virgin Islanders have served in all major U.S. conflicts and currently have units stationed in Iraq.
A few years ago I met a native of Jamaica who immigrated to the United States and worked in public relations for a well-known luxury hotel. I questioned her about the island: where to stay other than an all-inclusive resort. You see, I’m a Europe through the Back Door type traveler not a tour group/all activities planned/chain hotel type traveler. I wanted to know if she had any suggestions on visiting the authentic Jamaica rather than the pre-packaged one.
She rolled her eyes dismissively. “You don’t want to see the real Jamaica,” she assured me. “It’s not paradise for the people who live there.”
While I haven’t encountered such a dark description of life in the Virgin Islands, locals stress that living here does not equate to a permanent vacation. The worries of the economy, jobs, education, affordable housing, gas prices (currently a low of $2.29/gallon) exist here. And on this Veteran’s Day they share the worry for the safe return of family members in Iraq. Perhaps next Veteran’s Day will find us a nation at peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment