While Jacksonville concludes its week of honoring servicemen through the “Week of Valor” with Monday’s Veteran’s Day parade, active and past servicemen are not without thanks to give out as well.

“You can’t do anything that you’re required to do at sea when you don’t know what’s going on at home- who’s taking care of the kids boo-boos?” says Parachute Rigger First Class Ralph Ellis.

Ellis told me in his 19 years serving the Navy- 11 of which have been based here in Jacksonville- the moment which most sticks out to him is when his extended family greeted him for the first time in Boston following a deployment.  He says it was the first time he had a large group show up to be there right away, and that support has been an invaluable driver to help him during his service.

“It’s very hard to leave your family, leave everything you own and everybody you love behind,” he says.

While Ellis is still in the service, that message is one that is echoed by our area veterans as well.  For Command Master Chief retired Richard Hay, however, the gratitude extends beyond family, friends and the community.

“No matter what we do, no matter who we are, we have to take that moment to pause and remember that we are not where we’re at today without those that have come before us and made those sacrifices,” he says.

Hay is a fourth generation serviceman who served more than 30 years, with his last eight at NAS Jacksonville.  He says remembering the fallen must go beyond just Memorial Day because most of the branches are built on their history.  He says he wouldn’t have been able to achieve everything he did during his service without tremendous sacrifice through previous generations, and he hopes future generations can look back at his time saying the same thing.

Will, from Atlantic Beach, is an Army man who served more than 40 years ago.  But that message of gratitude is one he extends through all the generations.

“We just appreciate everything they do- more than they will ever know.

And, of course, the family and friends connected to the military want to say thanks.  Travis is a civil service worker at Naval Station Mayport who says the men and women he works beside often aren’t given as much attention and gratitude as they deserve- so he was excited to see initiatives like the Navy-Marine Corps Classic bring a lot of attention and many dignitaries to the base.

Many of the city’s officials have served as well- and want to make sure the attention to veteran and military affairs continues past this “Week of Valor.”

In fact the Director of Veteran and Military Affairs for Jacksonville Rear Admiral retired Vic Guillory says when his 35 years of Navy service ended in Jacksonville, he knew he would be here to stay.

“A city where the citizens, I think, really appreciate the patriotism and the service of their military,” he says.

The gratitude and recognition do still to come as a shock for some.  Hay says after September 11, 2001, more and more people thank him for his service when they find out he was in the military.  He says it’s a very humbling experience.

For Ellis, the focus is even beyond gratitude- to remembrance.

“For the guys who are out on the ground and sit at the tip of the sphere, they’re not sure if they’re gunna come back or not, and we’re not sure if they’re gunna come back or not, and a lot of my friends and family members have passed away and met their fate on the ground in Fallujah or Afghanistan and in all these other places that we’re deployed to.  So don’t forget about your fighting men and women in uniform because we’re trying to take care of you and take care of our country,” he says.

Jacksonville’s Veteran’s Day parade begins Monday at 11:01 AM and marches through Downtown Jacksonville.  WOKV will be there to bring you more of these stories of gratitude and remembrance.  You can also leave your own thoughts by commenting on our Facebook page through the link to the left.