I'm proud of us. Sure, we don't do everything right, but damn, this is a great country. I was recently in New York City for business. As a Detroit-based lawyer, I often travel to NYC and other major cities to visit with clients. When I do, I always try to go for a run. I've found that you get a more intimate understanding of the city and its natives when running through it.
On this last trip to the Big Apple, I began my run by walking through the 911 Memorial, which was just outside my hotel. It was the first time I had stepped onto that hallowed ground. The memorial is beautiful and, in my opinion, could not have been done any better. I looked around a bit, taking in the views and reading some of the inscribed names on the parapets surrounding the pools. The more names I read, the more melancholy I became. So, I pushed myself to continue toward the path along the water just a couple of blocks away for my run.
As I ran from Battery Park north along the Hudson River, I saw some amazing things. I saw basketball courts, tennis courts and a skateboard park filled with happy, energized and diverse Americans. As I ran along one of the piers, I saw beach volleyball and soccer players. At the end of the pier, there were several well-dressed ballroom dancers practicing their art. And then, of course, there were many other runners enjoying that beautiful sunny day. Everyone and I mean everyone looked happy. They were all truly enjoying themselves.
Okay, so maybe that doesn't sound amazing. Here's the amazing part all of that joyful activity was merely blocks from where the most tragic and murderous event in U.S. history occurred. Yet, our American spirit and way of life was on full display, and is on full display every day. If you hurt us, we will mourn, but we will never quit. We will continue to work hard, play hard and, most importantly, love hard. That's just who we are, who we really are as Americans. I'm proud of us.
I'm also proud of our very own Veterans Law Committee. With more than 40 members, the Veterans Law Committee is one of our most active and service-oriented committees. The Veterans Law Committee focuses on veterans' issues, including recruitment of OCBA members to take pro bono cases related to veterans' matters and participation in many veterans' treatment court programs. The committee works to heighten awareness and increase participation in Veterans Day observances in Oakland County, and provides support to deployed military men and women through an annual collection program that sends care packages, and sponsors the Veterans' Speakers Bureau.
Last year, with Jay Cunningham serving as its chair, the committee hosted and participated in numerous events in an effort to improve the quality of lives for both our veterans and those still in active duty. Last September, under the leadership of Jim Zellen, the committee sponsored its inaugural golf outing at Stonycroft Hills Club. It was well-attended and helped the committee raise funds.
The committee has also supported several Veterans' Treatment Courts throughout Oakland County. Working alongside Chief Judge Nanci Grant and other judges, committee members have served as sponsors, mentors and defense counsel to help veterans successfully complete the rigorous programs designed by those courts. These veterans courts, and Chief Judge Grant's veterans court in particular, have been credited with actually saving lives.1
The committee participated in headstone cleaning days at Great Lakes National Cemetery. And it was well represented at the Veterans Day service where retired Judge Fred Mester was the keynote speaker. The committee urges you to mark your calendar for this great event this upcoming Veterans Day, November 11, 2016. As Jay Cunningham put it, "You owe it to yourself to visit GLNC, and be amidst more than 25,000 vets who are with us in spirit."
The Veterans Law Committee has also commenced a rewarding association with Vets Returning Home, Inc., which is owned and managed by Sandy Bower, who is a remarkable woman. Vets Returning Home, Inc. runs a shelter to help homeless veterans who need a fresh start in life after serving in the U.S. military. Many of the committee members had dinner at the shelter with 20 or so veterans living there at the time. They learned about the efforts taken to help these men and women get back on their feet.
Due to the generosity of OCBA members, the committee packed 139 boxes of donated items, which weighed more than two tons. Those boxes were shipped to 11 different military units overseas. With Mike Schloff in command of ATOT (Americans Thank our Troops, a 501C(3) non-profit program), a record number of committee members spent two days in a Ford Motor Company warehouse packing those boxes. Additional logistical support was provided by the Oakland County Road Commission, Corrigan Moving and Selfridge Air National Guard Base.
Finally, the committee capped off its stellar year by creating a special recognition for distinguished service in the name of one of its founding members, Gerald Gorcyca. The first recipient of that honor was Barb Grasso, a founder and director of ATOT. She was formally recognized at the OCBA Annual Meeting on June 2, 2016.
With this year's committee leadership in place (Chair Jack Holmes, Vice Chair Jeff Butler, and Billet Administrator Bill Lynch) the committee is sure to continue having a tremendous positive impact on the bar association and Oakland County as a whole. On behalf of the entire OCBA, I salute the Veterans Law Committee and sincerely thank its members for their continuing service.
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Footnote
1"Chief Judge's Veterans Court Credited with Saving Man's Life," The Oakland Press, Jan. 14, 2015.
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David C. Anderson, of Collins, Einhorn, Farrell PC, is the 84th president of the Oakland County Bar Association.
Published: Fri, Sep 30, 2016
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