To the Editor:

In a few days, Jackson County voters will be choosing the leadership of the county for the next four years. As a U.S. Army veteran (1961-64, Ft. Bragg and West Germany), I commend the current board of county commissioners for their combined and individual support of military veterans and their causes, and for making it a priority to address the needs of veterans at the local level.  

The commissioners have often supported specific programs of the county’s veteran organizations, and have personally participated in programs that honor veterans, such as those on Veterans Day in November and Memorial Day each May.

Several years back, they took the initiative to fix the fountain area at the foot of the courthouse steps in Sylva, transforming it from an embarrassing eyesore into a fitting and well-maintained tribute to the sacrifices made by Jackson County veterans who served in our country’s wars.

More recently, the commissioners provided crucial major support to the Rotary Club’s Honor Air project.  Over the last couple of years that project has transported numerous Jackson County WW2 veterans on carefully planned, day-long roundtrips to Washington, D.C. There these men and women had the opportunity to make unforgettable and often emotional first visits to the great new World War Two Memorial, plus other area monuments that honor the service of America’s veterans.

The commissioners have also ensured that the county’s Veterans Service Officer continues to be a highly-qualified, dedicated, and pro-active individual who works hard to make sure that veterans and their dependents get all federal and state mandated health and other support due to them from the Veterans Administration, the Department of Defense, and additional federal and state agencies.

For these and their other efforts on behalf of veterans, I salute the current commissioners and urge their re-election.

Jim Nicholl

Cullowhee