The future changes forever this afternoon at 2

For many communities, honoring veterans is a once a year activity. Not so here.

Credit the close association with Fort Knox, our general appreciation for God and country or the Kentucky work ethic that respects service above all. Whatever the reason, displaying respect for veterans is not a once a year Veterans Day experience in Hardin County.

But as of 2 p.m. today, every day becomes Veterans Day.

With the formal dedication of the Hardin County Veterans Tribute, that recognition is ongoing and formalized.

The tribute site is the centerpiece of 12 acres of gentle rolling hills, which make up the new Elizabethtown Nature Park. This new country setting less than a mile from the county’s most hectic intersection is a treasure onto itself. Dropping the tribute into its midst creates a crown jewel.

If you attend the ceremony today, expect to see tears. They may very well be yours. Thanks to the commemorative bricks and pavers that encircle the monuments, it’s a uniquely emotional setting.

The five military statues representing soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guard are exacting in detail with each uniform characteristic dead-on accurate right down to the patches. The statues stand upon triangular-shaped granite which points to the apex of one-arm of the tribute’s five-sided star pattern.

Behind the statutes are huge blocks of black marble with silhouettes of appropriate military scenes on one side and the most popular verses from that military branch’s official hymn.

A sixth statue at the center of the tribute completes the picture of dedication. It honors the civil servant whose support is critical to military success but too often overlooked.

At another military remembrance ceremony last week promoting the Patton Museum Foundation’s barracks restoration project, U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie shared a story of his Washington, D.C., experiences.

During a break between legislative meetings one afternoon, he decided to take a walk. Soon he passed the World War II Memorial, later the Vietnam Wall and the Korean War Memorial. At each, his eyes were drawn to aged veterans, tearful tourists and people lost in contemplation and prayer.

Among his own thoughts and memories, Guthrie reached a realization. D.C. has changed.

People still visit places to honor noble greats of the republic: Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington and FDR. That still happens. But now, more people honor the sacrifices and service of the common man and woman who devote themselves to military service.

Guthrie plans to attend today’s Veterans Tribute ceremony. Among all the guest’s reaction, I am most anxious to hear his — mainly because I want to see if it’s the same as mine.

The excellence, care and quality exhibited by the Hardin County Veterans Tribute are up to the standard of any D.C. memorial.

Today is a monumental moment. It’s a game changer for the future. From now on, every day is Veterans Day.

Ben Sheroan is editor

of The News-Enterprise.

He can be reached at (270)

505-1764 or bsheroan@the

newsenterprise.com.

Ben Sheroan is editor of The News-Enterprise. He can be reached at (270) 505-1764 or bsheroan@thenewsenterprise.com.