There are more than 20 million veterans in the United States. They are your neighbors, your loved ones, and your public servants.
As we mark Veterans' Day, 7 Action News spoke to several veterans about the sacrifices they think about on this day.
Veterans are not hard to find. At the Dearborn Police Department, they make up about ten percent of the force.
“We recognize those who signed a blank check, basically, for the United States,” said Officer Richard Townsend, a veteran employed by the Dearborn Police Department.
“It is something I wanted to do for my family, for my country,” said Sgt. Alan Leveille, a veteran employed by the Dearborn Police Department.
At the Dearborn Heights Liquor and Wine Store, owner Sam Kallabat knows which customers are veterans.
He talks with customers like Jeremy Durham about why they served.
“Protection for the United States,” said Durham.
“We all gave it all we had, and we did a great job. I love those people,” said Kallabat.
Kallabat has special respect for veterans.
When the War in Iraq started, he heard the Pentagon was looking for interpreters. He advanced in his roles, working as a contracted employee for the Pentagon alongside military personnel. He served his motherland and the country he calls home until an attack on the base in 2011.
“Shrapnel went in my leg and passed by my ears,” said Kallabat.
“The mortars, the rockets, the grenades, they don’t differentiate between civilians and military personnel. We were all one in there, and we were together, really together,” said Kallabat.
