Local veterans reflect on sacrifice, service and silence in remembrance of Memorial Day

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — This Memorial Day, WNKY News 40 had the honor of sitting down with local veterans, both men and women who were willing to share stories we rarely hear and bear names we may never know.

For many, their journey into service began with a calling they couldn’t ignore. They stepped forward into the unknown: duty, danger, and sacrifice.

Jeanette Wand, a retired nurse who served in Japan, Germany and South Dakota, spoke humbly of her time in the military and how it allowed her to travel the world and care for others. Each veteran’s story is unique, but many echo a common truth: service leaves a lasting impact.

Richard Cavanah shared how quickly the Army changed his outlook on life. “It only took one day,” he said, “and the Army uncocked me.”

Many veterans return home with hard-earned wisdom and unseen wounds. Jeanette recalled how Vietnam veterans, in particular, faced a hostile homecoming. “It was pretty shady,” she said. “They were spat on and yelled at.”

Others, like Wendell, held their memories in silence for decades. Some, like Donald Gardner, now regret never asking their loved ones about what they went through. The pain of war—its sounds, its smells, its losses—can be described, but never truly understood unless lived.

Wendell shared the harrowing memory of walking into an ambush, where he was wounded—and where others beside him never made it home.

Yet despite the pain, the sacrifice, and the silence, Wendell holds firmly to one belief:
“We live in the greatest country in the world… and part of that is being willing to defend the freedoms we enjoy.”