For Veterans, Plymouth Drive-Thru Breakfast Is More Than a Meal
A line of cars filled with veterans stretched across the parking lot near Plymouth City Hall on Thursday, Nov. 7.
They came for the city’s drive-thru breakfast, which offered free sandwiches, coffee and tea for veterans.
Throughout the line, volunteers and Plymouth city staff members spoke with the veterans, chatting and handing out flowers.
Even though they came for the grub, they stayed for conversations and memories.
“Believe it or not, I joined the Navy and I got stationed in the desert,” said Navy veteran Harold Golden, of Plymouth. “I was in Oregon at a bombing range … it’s a job that must be done. We need to defend ourselves, and I was very happy to do it.”
Each veteran brought stories from past life to the drive-thru. Many told stories of sacrifice.
“This is me, from when I went in the Army, 1955 — a few years ago,” said Roger Rausch, an Army veteran who brought his black-and-white enlistment photo. “I was lucky I didn’t get shot at, I didn’t get killed.”
A volunteer hands a rose to a veteran near Plymouth City Hall. The roses were part of the city’s drive-thru breakfast for veterans.
Jackie Maas, Plymouth’s volunteer coordinator for the event, brought stories from her family life.
“It’s also personally important to me — wow, look at this,” she said, fighting back tears. “My father served in World War II, and my son is currently active duty in the United States Space Force.”
She wanted to be involved with the event to offer long-missing recognition for people like her son.
“Many of them have told us that they, when they came home from Vietnam, nobody thanked them,” Maas said. “So the fact that we are honoring them today is so important.”
Veteran’s Day is Monday, Nov. 11.
