Attendees at the Nov. 11 Veterans Day ceremony held in the Malloy Leisure Room Center pose for a photo including the keynote speaker, Traer native Carol Whitmore (front row, second from left), a decorated Army veteran who now serves on the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) National Council of Administration. PHOTO BY ROB MAHARRY

There was a special feeling in the air the morning of Friday, Nov. 11 as veterans, staff and the general public filed into the Malloy Leisure Room Center on the Iowa Veterans Home campus for the first Veterans Day program since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

New IVH Commandant Todd Jacobus felt privileged to have the opportunity to be a part of it, and during his introductory remarks, he compared the learning process for the position to “drinking from a fire hydrant.”

After Jacobus read Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proclamation declaring Veterans Day in Iowa on Friday, the combined Marshalltown Honor and Color Guard presented the flags, and the Marshalltown Men’s Chorus sang the first of their several musical numbers, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Jacobus then led the attendees of the packed room in the Pledge of Allegiance, and IVH Chaplain Ryan Trosen delivered an invocation.

“We are so thankful for (veterans’) sacrifice, for their courage to places others do not want to go, and we pray for peace in our world, peace at home and peace for those still serving,” Trosen said. “Help us to honor our veterans today with all the respect and the love that we can.”

New Iowa Veterans Home Commandant Todd Jacobus, right, shakes hands with Marine Corps veteran and IVH resident Brent Beals, left, following the Nov. 11 Veterans Day program at the Malloy LRC. PHOTO BY ROB MAHARRY

Jacobus then asked for a minute of silence as a tribute to veterans before introducing the day’s keynote speaker, Traer native Carol Whitmore, a decorated Army veteran who now serves on the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) National Council of Administration.

Whitmore, Jacobus said, is both a personal friend and a great leader, citing her 36 years of service in the Army including combat deployments in Iraq and the fact that she will become the first female (and first Iowan) commander of the national VFW in 2025.

“More importantly, I would say (that) after serving in the United States armed forces, the person I’m introducing to you decided to continue that service as a soldier for life and as a veteran by investing a great deal of time, energy and her talents into veterans related issues,” Jacobus said. “And during every one of those assignments, she has taken on more responsibility and taken on more leadership responsibilities.”

Whitmore joked she had “a lot to live up to” after the introduction and told the audience that as a native of nearby Tama County, she felt like she was coming home to IVH. She also reciprocated the praise Jacobus heaped on her, assuring residents and staff that the facility was in the hands of “a good, kind Christian man, and he will take good care of all of you.”

From there, she gave shoutouts to veterans of each branch of the military individually and paid tribute to the five WWII veterans in the audience. Whitmore spoke about the importance of service more broadly and reflected on the broader meaning of Veterans Day.

“It’s a day to think about the immense responsibility that is ours and what it takes to maintain that independence,” she said. “Across the nation, patriotic Americans are gathering at events just like this and remembering the countless sacrifices of our nation’s heroes. Let us cherish the values and virtues which our nation was founded on and have bravely preserved no matter the price.”

The great victories the U.S. military has won over the years have come with great sacrifice, Whitmore added, and she commended her own grandson who is currently deployed and left an infant daughter here in the States. She concluded by thanking all of the veterans in attendance for their service and reminding that Friday was their day.

The men’s chorus then sang Lee Greenwood’s patriotic staple “God Bless the U.S.A” before receiving an assist from guitarist Leaann Dalldorf on “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Once the benediction was delivered, Greenwood’s version of “This Land Is Your Land” played loudly as the program ended, and Jacobus invited the veterans in attendance up to front of the room for a photo with the governor’s proclamation.

In an interview after the event, Jacobus expressed gratitude that he got to experience something so important so early in his tenure as commandant.

“I’ve spoken at this event before, and I don’t remember it being as full as it was. So there’s no doubt that people were ready to have an event like this, and it’s perfect that it’s on Veterans Day,” Jacobus said. “You can tell when you saw the national anthem played and the patriotic music that we heard from the Marshalltown Men’s Chorus, the look in the eyes of the veterans that were here, it’s different than other people. It really is. It’s awesome to be able to look at them and recognize the fact of what they’ve done in their careers and their lives, and I also think it’s awesome to see what our nation does in terms of providing that payback to these folks.”

Because of both her local roots and her passion for veterans issues, Whitmore was doubly excited to take the stage and discuss a topic near and dear to her heart.

“It’s such a privilege and honor to represent veterans, especially the VFW. It’s my honor to be a good steward to this organization, and to be here today, the room felt — I feel like they were all my friends. They’re my comrades in arms,” she said. “Everybody was just excited to be back together again and not have so many masks.”

Above all else, Whitmore hoped those who heard her would take away a simple lesson: every day is Veterans Day, or at least it should be.