The city of Bettendorf hosted a solemn annual Veterans Day ceremony, after morning rains ended, on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at Bettendorf’s Veterans Memorial Park, 1645 23rd St.
The keynote speaker (introduced by Bettendorf Mayor Bob Gallagher) was Col. William J. “Joe” Parker, chief of staff for the U.S. Army Sustainment Command at Rock Island Arsenal. He relinquished command of the U.S. Army Garrison at the Arsenal this past July, to Col. Jason M. Knapp.
“It's an honor to stand with you today here to mark Veterans Day. It's a day we set aside not only to recount history, but to honor the living character of the men and women who helped us write it,” Parker said, asking all veterans present to stand and be recognized.
“It's often remarked that military service is one of the few experiences that demands both total selflessness and absolute personal accountability,” he said. “It instills an acute awareness that success is never solitary and that freedom isn't an inheritance that we simply enjoy. but it's a trust that we are required to defend. For two and a half centuries, our nation's story has been shaped by that conviction.”
“America's first soldiers marched into the field under a brief, unwavering declaration of, this we'll defend,” Parker said. “That motto remains the bedrock of our armed forces, and specifically our Army. It represents an unbroken line of stewardship that stretches from the frozen encampments of Valley Forge through the crucible of two world wars, across the mountains and valleys of Korea and Vietnam, and then two and a half decades following September 11th.
“Veterans Day holds a distinct place in our national calendar. On Memorial Day, as was mentioned, we stand in solemn reverence to remember those who laid down their lives in defense of our nation, but Veterans Day belongs to those who are still living,” he said.
“It is our opportunity to honor every individual who stepped forward, who raised their hand and pledged themselves to the service of others. In our modern era, those who serve belong to the all-volunteer force. That phrase describes more than an organizational model; it reflects a profound moral choice.”
Parker noted fewer than 1% of Americans choose to shoulder the responsibility of our collective defense. “They step forward knowing that the mission comes before comfort, that discipline precedes privilege, and that unity of purpose matters far more than individual interest,” he said.
“And nowhere is that spirit more deeply rooted than right here in the Quad Cities. For more than a century and a half, Rock Island Arsenal has stood in the heart of the Mississippi as a quiet titan of American readiness and industrial ingenuity,” Parker said. “From the Civil War to modern advanced manufacturing, the arsenal has safeguarded our forces, modernized our capabilities, and anchored this region. And the people of Bettendorf and our Quad Cities have been there to support throughout.”
QC home to 21,000 vets
“Yet the true strength of this community is not measured solely in the steel shaped on the island. It's measured through the character of the people surrounding it,” he said. “The Quad Cities is a proud home to more than 21,000 veterans, and that represents over 7% of the adult population in this area, a military footprint roughly 20% higher than the national average. Those figures represent an extraordinary depth in all of our neighborhoods.
“We live alongside more than 6,500 Vietnam-era veterans whose resilience and commitment to their fellow service members fundamentally transformed how America supports its returning heroes,” Parker said, noting there also nearly 5,700 post-9/11 and War on Terror veterans in the QC, and over 1,100 Korean War vets and treasured few remaining World War II vets.
“And just minutes away in Silvis, we draw enduring inspiration from Hero Street, where a modest two-block neighborhood answered our nation's call with an unparalleled level of courage and sacrifice,” he said. “These aren't distant statistics. These are our colleagues, our educators, our public servants, and our neighbors. And so in the Army, we embrace this, the principle of a soldier for life. The uniform is temporary, but that ethos is permanent.
“The values forged in military service— loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage do not expire when an individual transitions back to civilian life,” Parker said. “Instead, those values are reinvested into our communities. They are present in our classrooms, our boardrooms, our emergency response units, and our civic boards.”
At the Arsenal, nearly half of that civilian workforce of about 6,000 consists of veterans.
“They're veterans who simply traded the uniform for civilian tools, ensuring the mission moves forward without interruption,” Parker said. “Veterans demonstrate that public virtue is an active pursuit, and they remind us that the health of our democracy depends upon citizens who are willing to bridge divides, solve practical problems, and look out for the person standing beside them.
“To our neighbors across the Quad Cities, thank you for sustaining a community where military families are embraced, supported, and valued every single day of the year,” he added. “And to all of our veterans here and across our area, thank you for your vigilance in the defense of our freedom and for your steadfast leadership in our civic life. You have honored the nation through your service. It is now our turn to honor and stand by you.”
Local VFW commander
John Weiland, commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9128 in Bettendorf, offered his tribute Wednesday.
“Veterans Day is not just another holiday. And it's not Memorial Day. This day is for the living,” he said. “It is a chance for a grateful nation to recognize every individual who has worn the uniform of the United States Armed Forces in war or in peace, on active duty or in the reserves, from the day they took the oath of enlistment to this very moment. It is a chance to pause and say with one voice, your service matters.”
“We remember your sacrifice, and we honor the promise we made to you,” Weiland said. “Looking around today, I see a tapestry of American heroes, from the veterans of World War II and Korea to those who served in Vietnam, to the warriors of the Gulf, the Balkans, and the post-9/11 generation who fought in Afghanistan, Iraq, and across the globe, the spirit of service spans generations.”
“Today, we recognize all of our veterans and those currently serving for the sacrifices they make away from loved ones, for the long lines they stand in, for the weather extremes they endure, the long hours of boredom, the scary events that reaffirm their faith, the silence of an email from home, and the moments of sheer terror they experience protecting not only each other but all of us as countrymen of our great nation,” he said.
“Every one of them left the comforts of home and the warmth of loved ones behind to uphold our American way of life,” Weiland said. “Our service members and their families bear the burden of that separation, that loneliness, that ever-present risk. Veterans Day is about recognizing their choice to place country above self. Today, we must also remember those whose name we no longer hear called out loud. We hold in our hearts every man and woman who paid the ultimate sacrifice, whose service ended too soon.”
“For the last 250 years, our freedom, our democracy, our very existence as a republic is something to be proud of and is the direct result of the courage of generations of heroes who rose to protect it through every challenge, every war, and every threat,” he said. “As we look ahead to our next 250 years, let us reflect on what we honor today. Every time a service member stepped forward, they made a contract with America.
“Today we tell them the contract is valid, the debt is real, and America will continue to honor the contract,” Weiland added. “When you see a veteran, thank them. More importantly, listen to them. Support the organizations like the VFW that stand ready to help. Advocate for their care and commit in your own life to preserving the ideals for which they fought.”
Police chaplain prayer
Ben LaVicka, an Air Force veteran who is chaplain of the Bettendorf Police Department, gave an invocation at the start of the ceremony.
“Today we pause to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Laying down their lives so that we might live in freedom. I pray against those who would try to take those freedoms from us. May their plans fall flat,” he said.
“We are one nation under God. Help us to be a community full of gratitude, grace, unity, and service to one another,” LaVicka said. “And we also thank you, Lord, for our living veterans -- for their courage, their dedication, and their enduring service to our communities. Grant them peace of mind, strength of body, and the deep gratitude of a nation that does not forget their sacrifice. Bless our gathering today. Guide our leaders here locally and around the world. Inspire each of us to live worthy of the freedoms bought at so great a price.”
Part of the Veterans Day event included Gallagher and Parker laying a wreath at the park memorial and an Honor Guard three-volley salute and playing of “Taps.”
The Bettendorf Veterans Memorial was dedicated in 2003 as a lasting tribute to the men and women who served our country honorably or who are on active duty. The outer pillars of American black granite bear the names of about 1,000 service men and women who’ve had a connection to Bettendorf.
Anonymously Grateful mission
Jose Cerda of Davenport, an Army vet who is founder and president of Anonymously Grateful, a volunteer organization whose mission is to raise awareness of the many challenges faced in the military community, spoke after the Veterans Day ceremony about their 2027 mission.
Anonymously Grateful is dedicated to honoring Gold Star Families and Gold Star Parents, while also providing veterans with resources and support for the battles they continue to face after returning home. The group is made up of veterans and civilians who are committed to honoring our nation’s fallen service members and supporting our veterans.
“We’re recognizing the parents that lost a son or daughter in combat, depriving them of being a grandparent,” Cerda said Wednesday. “But then we're also recognizing the men and women that we're losing to mental health. From 2001 to 2026, by the end of this year, we'll have over 163,000 men and women (veterans) that have committed suicide due to mental health reasons.”
“Here locally, we've lost 10 active duty and veterans from this area to suicide, to mental health,” he said, noting two of the three veterans to be honored in the 2027 mission died by suicide. “I think the VA's just overwhelmed with a lot of mental health cases.”
The three 2027 American heroes are:
* Army veteran Shaun Dale Fischer (1977-2014)
* Sergeant Jessica L. Cawvey (1983-2004), killed in action in Iraq.
* Specialist Jaymie Lee Holschlag (1973-2022)
"Three American heroes. Three families whose lives were forever changed," Cerda said. "One gave her life on the battlefield. Two returned home, only to lose their battles with the invisible wounds of war."
“The only ones that could really tell if a veteran is struggling is the family or someone that served with them,” Cerda, who served in Korea in the ‘80s, said. “I do a breakfast once a month for our veterans in Eldridge, Iowa. It's called the Bring to Light Breakfast. Just veterans from Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia. We all get together. We have local supporters.”
“It's free and it's a way for us to unwind. We have guest speakers and stuff,” he said. “We do a group text, we check on everybody, and then we do follow-up breakfasts just to make sure that everyone's okay. And it's helped a lot with the veterans that do struggle because we do get texts once in a bit to say, hey, they're struggling, and one of us that's in that same group chat will reach out.”
To local veterans, Anonymously Grateful posted Wednesday on its Facebook page:
“Your service did not end when you left the military. You continue to serve through your dedication, leadership, compassion, and willingness to stand beside those who may be carrying burdens that others cannot see.
“To our Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and National Guard veterans on this board, thank you for continuing to answer the call.
“To our Patriots and Gold Star family representation, thank you for standing alongside us and understanding that service, sacrifice, and commitment extend far beyond the uniform.
“And to every member of this board, thank you for believing in the mission and helping carry it forward.
“Anonymously Grateful is more than an organization. It is a commitment to those who served, those still struggling, those we’ve lost, and the families who continue to carry their memories. We believe no veteran should ever have to walk through the darkness alone.”
The group works to:
- Provide financial support to the families of fallen service members.
- Offer emotional support to those navigating grief and loss.
- Raise awareness about suicide within the veteran community.
“We have been entrusted with something sacred, the memories of these American heroes and the hearts all the families they left behind,” Cerda said Wednesday. “And with God's guidance, the generosity of supporters, and the compassion of our community, we will carry that responsibility with dignity, humility, and love. We cannot bring their loved ones home. We cannot take away their pain. But we can make certain that these families never have to wonder whether America remembers.”
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