As veterans and community members gathered at Stratham Hill Park on Monday, astronaut and retired Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Poteet promised that he wouldn’t share any space stories.
Stratham’s Poteet made headlines when he joined a four-person civilian crew on SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission in September, but on Veterans Day, he was focused on the importance of service and honoring all veterans who have served and continue to serve their country.
“So what is service all about? It’s putting others first and doing things for a greater cause and having humility. It’s truly important in this day and age and this generation that we’re focused more on service and having more humility,” Poteet told the more than 150 people who attended the town’s annual Veterans Day ceremony held in the Veterans Garden.
Many who attended took a quiet walk through the nearby “Field of Flags” display organized by the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The large display of flags was planted in honor of veterans and active duty personnel, with each bearing the name, rank and military conflict in which they were involved.
Fresh off his historic space flight that sent him to the highest Earth orbit since NASA’s Apollo program, Poteet, who served as the ceremony’s keynote speaker, encouraged people to think more about what service really means in today’s world.
“We are bombarded with a culture that is very focused on self-improvement, the individual. Just look at the internet on how focused we are on improving ourselves versus doing things for the greater good,” said Poteet, who shared how his combat experience in Afghanistan in 2015 enlightened him on the power of service.
Poteet explained that there are approximately three million people serving in the U.S. military.
“Does anyone know how many influencers there are on the internet, people who identify as an influencer, those who self-promote? I’m not talking bad about influencers, but those who don’t necessarily serve a greater cause. There are 65 million people who identify as an influencer versus three million who serve our country and defend this great nation. That’s just mind blowing if you believe the internet,” he said.
But Poteet stressed that service can have many positive impacts when people serve each other and their country.
He recalled how during his homecoming from his space mission he realized just how important the Stratham community is to his family.
“It’s truly a blessing to see all these people here today to celebrate our veterans. What an honor and a privilege to be amongst the men and women of this community. We’re just thankful this is our home,” he said.
Stratham Boy Scout Troop 185 and Cub Scout Pack 185 were among those who participated in the ceremony. Scoutmaster Dave Emanuel said that involving the scouts aligns with the mission and values of the scouting movement.
“Our job is to help build tomorrow’s citizens. Currently we’re working on the citizenship, community and the nation and the world merit badges. This ties it together at the local level. It’s Civics 101,” he said.
Emanuel’s son, Graham, a 14-year-old scout patrol leader, said he has some family members who are veterans and he was honored to be a part of the ceremony.
Fellow scout Matt Sturtevant, 15, a senior patrol leader, said he was also glad to take part and recognize veterans for their service. “We would just like to acknowledge them and thank them. It’s really about having active members of our community who are here to support them,” he said.
