There are so many ways we can be of service to our community and country – being a good neighbor, donating to charities, providing steady jobs to those who need them, and participating in local government – but I think you will agree with me that when it comes to service, U.S. Military Veterans are in a class by themselves.

As we honor and thank these men and women for serving our country, remember this important distinction:  they were willing to put their lives on the line in defense of our freedoms. That makes missing a family dinner here and there for a board meeting seem paltry in comparison, and it should.

What often amazes me is that so many of the men and women we will honor this week, folks who spent their days as soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen or “coasties,” continue to serve us in ways big and small.

President Obama spoke to this very sentiment a few years ago when he said, “As we search for ways to come together…some of our best examples are the men and women we salute on Veterans Day. Whenever the world makes you cynical; whenever you seek true humility, and true selflessness—look to a veteran.”

I often wonder if the willingness of veterans to roll up their sleeves and pitch in was ingrained in the military, or perhaps it was taught to them at an early age by parents who stressed the value of service before self.

My grandfather and namesake “Vic” Guiduli, was such a guy, a veteran who served in the Army Air Force and continued long into his 90s to help his Vermont town, volunteering for all kinds of things, including as an Elk, Mason and Shriner.

I know he loved the camaraderie of community service, of hanging out and swapping stories with the guys, but he also recognized the important work being accomplished by the organizations he loved. A businessman who never hesitated to help others, he had once visited the Shriners Children’s Burn Hospital in Boston, and the work being done there made a lasting impression. 

No matter the source of someone’s altruism, here in our community we have many examples of veterans who fit this same bill, and three come to mind as I write this. Humility is a trait they share, so I apologize in advance for embarrassing them. 

Jeff Sukeforth of Camden is a familiar face in our area, not only because he works at the Camden Police Department administrating, among other things,  “Good Morning Camden and Rockport” (a daily morning telephone check-in for senior citizens and adults with disabilities who are living alone) but because this man is literally everywhere a helping hand is needed.

He is a driving force behind local American Legion programs, including the pancake breakfasts held bimonthly at Post 30 on Pearl Street in Camden. These Sunday events raise funds for the building, but they are much more than that. Folks who show up alone are greeted; friends reconnect over “Freedom” toast; and veterans who may be living a bit of a lonely existence are welcomed into a fold. Jeff is also a Mason, helping out with that group’s spaghetti dinners to benefit nonprofit groups, and with his wife, Connie, raises money for scholarships for high schoolers through periodic yard sales. He is a Vietnam Veteran who served in the United States Air Force. 

Camden’s Karla Doremus-Tranfield, also an Air Force veteran, started an event four years ago to help address food insecurity in our area.

This weekend the Annual Turkey Ride, now organized by Maine Sport Outfitters, will cycle dozens of turkeys to the Camden Area Christian Food Pantry,  brightening the Thanksgiving tables of countless area families.

Karla is also an advisor with the nonprofit Boots2Roots, an organization that benefits our whole state by encouraging military families at the end of their service to transition to life and jobs in Maine. Last but not least, she is an integral part of Building Bridges Maine, a group striving to depolarize politics through the use of civil discourse. 

Jack Williams, of Rockport, served in the Army during the Vietnam War and attended the U.S. Army Language Institute of Monterey, California. He’s been a Midcoast mover and shaker for decades, whether through his three-decade career in banking with Camden National Bank, or through his many volunteer causes, including youth hockey (he has served on boards for Mid Coast Recreation Center and the Maine Coast Skaters Association) and the Restorative Justice Project Maine.

Jack is passionate about this program, which provides restorative conferences for adult and juvenile offenders in Knox, Waldo, Lincoln and Sagadahoc counties, and has been involved since 2014.

Adlai Stevenson once stated, “Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.” Please thank the Veterans in our midst, many of whom are continuing to serve us in a myriad of ways. 

Vicki Doudera lives in Camden and represents District 43 (Camden and Rockport) in the Maine Legislature