Patriotism and military personnel in uniform obviously go hand and hand. Those that serve our country in uniform are part of a unique group of individuals that share a special bond whether it be a WWII veteran or Afghanistan/Iraq veteran.
For that matter all men and women in uniform including police and firefighters are patriots by the very oath they are sworn to obey on behalf of their country and communities. Their contributions and sacrifice are critical to the well being of our country that in turn makes it possible for the rest of us to enjoy the freedoms and liberties only available in America.
Patriotism is not a private club only available to those in uniform but is also exhibited daily by many other citizens of our wonderful and blessed country. I want to recognize and thank two such individuals that will no doubt cringe when they read this article because what they do is clearly from the heart and not for personal or political gain. In some ways these individuals are quite opposite but they have a common love and commitment to community and country.
Gary Knepp is a true gentleman with a wealth of historical knowledge and command of current events. Gary does far more than communicate names, dates and other statistical information. Gary is an educator, author, school board member, husband and father while somehow finding time to make his living as an attorney.
With all of that he may be best known as a veterans advocate and friend that does tireless work on behalf of the veteran community. Gary is a quiet and low key individual that deserves our respect and appreciation and especially from those that have served in uniform. Gary takes strong personal initiative and continues to make tremendous efforts to keep the veteran