The importance of thanking our veterans

Provided.

To thank Shane McGarrett for her presentation, President Jennifer Palakiko presented her with a certificate, and a donation was made to the Rotary Foundation in her honor.

At the Nov. 14 meeting of the Rotary Club of Tehachapi, in honor of veterans Day, the speaker was Shane McGarrett, who served honorably for four years in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam Era.

After an honorable discharge from the Air Force, she embarked upon a long, impressive career in the aerospace industry. Shane has written a memoir titled, "Out of Service: Coming of Age, the Military, a Fight for Life and Justice, a Memoir."

Shane was notably certified as the first woman jet engine mechanic at March Air Force Base, perhaps even in the entire Air Force. In addition, she managed to earn two associate's degrees, a bachelor's degree and the coveted F.A.A. issued Airframe & Powerplant license. Her aerospace journey began with her father emancipating her at the young age of 16. As the youngest of four children, her father knew that he was dying and could not afford to send her to college. Instead, he felt it best to have her go into the military, so at least she could eventually get a college education through the G.I. Bill.

At the time she was a mechanic, she explained, the women's movement was in full swing, but there were still limited opportunities for women in many areas. She faced significant obstacles, which are detailed in her memoir, uncovering the challenges she experienced, even within military life. After serving four years, she was given an honorable discharge, and she left the military to begin working for Lockheed Corporation. Her career in aerospace spanned over 40 years, working on historically significant projects for Boeing, McDonnell Douglass, Airbus and Lockheed Martin. She also worked for Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA as one of two structural mechanics that built the body of the Rover Perseverance, currently on Mars.

In honor of veterans Day, Shane explained the history behind the holiday. The Armistice with Germany that ended World War I went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, and started the tradition of honoring Armistice Day. In 1954, Armistice Day was renamed to veterans Day. She talked about how the American people loved to celebrate soldiers coming home after World War I and World War II, and they would throw ticker tape parades to celebrate the homecomings. Celebrations were also taking place all across America each Nov. 11, as well.

However, the experience was very different for Vietnam veterans upon return to the United States in the anti-war climate of the 1960s and '70s. Contrary to the prior wars, her generation didn't get to experience that same warm and celebratory welcome home from Vietnam. She talked about what it means to veterans to hear people say, "Thank you for your service." She said that when people say thank you, they are really saying, "We see you. I appreciate you putting yourself in harm's way for me and my family. This is my way of communicating my support for you." She said, "I'm a veteran, but I'm also an American. We carry values. And I think that appreciating our vets is a value." When she receives a thank you, she will always look the person in the eye and respond, "You're welcome." When you say thank you to a veteran, it gives them their ticker tape parade, acknowledging and remembering their contribution. And, she said, "You make their day every time you say it!"

The Tehachapi Rotary Club meets at noon every Thursday at Kelcy's. Rotary is the largest service organization in the world, and is committed to "Service Above Self," devoting time and resources to projects in the local community as well as internationally. For more information about the Rotary Club, you can visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/RotaryClubofTehachapi/.