“Thank you for your service is not enough,” said Montel Williams, a US Navy veteran, who also said, “I promised not to cry” as he accepted his award at the 2nd annual Salute to Service luncheon hosted by Variety and The History Channel at Cipriani 25 Broadway. Ken Fisher, a friend who had accompanied Williams to Dover to meet with Gold Star families, introduced him as a “veteran’s veteran.” Having recently suffered a massive stroke, Williams showed up anyway, for veterans, and was teary-eyed reminding everyone to do more. They may be home, he said, but “their service is not over.”
It was a potent moment among many at a posh luncheon that began with the color guard salute from the 1
st Marine Corps District. The brainchild of
Gerry Byrne, vice chair of Penske Media and a Vietnam War veteran, this stellar event, on Veteran’s Day, hosted this year by last year’s honoree, ABC news chief
Martha Raddatz (author of The Long Road Home), awarded Mr. Williams, as well as documentarian
Ken Burns, actress
Dana Delany of “China Beach” fame (she played a nurse during the Viet Nam War), celebrity “foodie”
Rachael Ray, and
Bob Woodruff. Caroline Hirsch of Caroline’s, the city’s premier comedy club, introduced Woodruff. Their relationship goes back to when she saw a documentary about him, a correspondent who was severely injured in the Iraq War. She was looking for a way to help those returning from combat and they, with
Lee Woodruff and
Andrew Fox, began their annual Stand Up for Heroes event. Soon
Bruce Springsteen, Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, and others, came to deliver the most outrageous monologues to benefit veterans and those who serve. What started at Town Hall, grew to the Beacon Theater, and now takes place at Madison Square Garden. It is a never-to-be-missed evening, with the most important attendees, our military and their families.
Similarly, servicemen attended the salute, including Tim Gardner, who told me that when he was a marine serving in Iraq, one of his duties was to transport people volunteering to run the election. Jason Broyles served in Afghanistan and two tours in Iraq in his 14-year army career. Now living on Long Island, he works in wood, carving cutting boards, and donating to organizations that provide dogs that help veterans heal. As in its inaugural year, the spirit remains: Thank you for your service should be the beginning of the conversation.
Regina Weinreich
Graphic Design: Salpeter Ventura
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