I thank and pray for veterans who paid the ultimate price for our freedom

I had the honor to be part of this year’s veterans lunch held at Merced Elks Lodge Nov. 12.

It was through the efforts of one person that made this special event possible. Mary Camper not only came up with the idea, she planed, organized, decorated, greeted and raised over $5,000 for the veterans as well as rallied the troops.

Everyone enjoyed the lunch prepared by Sheriff Vern Warnke and his crew. Boy Scout troop 1240 greeted and thanked the veterans for their service as they entered the building.

The highlight of the day was Merced City Manager Steve Carrigan telling us his father’s experiences as a prisoner of war in the Hanoi Hilton, where he was beaten and tortured every day for 5 ½ years. Hearing about his experiences sure made my life seem simple.

I would like to thank all of volunteers who helped as well as all the veterans who showed up for the event.

But most importantly I want to thank and pray for the brave men and women who paid the ultimate price for our freedom with their lives.

Rick Seymour, Merced

This story was originally published November 22, 2017 at 3:46 PM with the headline "I thank and pray for veterans who paid the ultimate price for our freedom."