The family came out for Paps, Lieutenant Colonel Knud Salveson

Retired Lt. Colonel, founder of Campbell High JROTC spoke at Monday’s Memorial Day ceremony

**Left to right are Jahdo, Knud and Renlee Busbee along with their mother, Jennifer Salveson, and grandparents, Susie “Yah-Yah” and “Paps”, Lt. Colonel Knud Salveson.**

JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF)- “It’s an honor to attend today’s ceremony and hear him speak,” said Susie Salveson. Ironically, when Susie’s husband Lieutenant Colonel Knud Salveson began speaking as the guest speaker at Monday’s Memorial Day ceremony, he opened by talking about the other half of a military journey, the spouse. “A lot of times, the spouses are the other half of what was done for this country. So you guys and ladies in uniform, when you go home today, do me a favor, tell your spouse thank you,” said the Lt. Colonel.

**At age 92, Clarence Daughtery may well have been the oldest veteran, U-S Army, in attendance on Monday.**

Colonel, as he’s called around the community, is called Paps by his grandchildren while Susie is Yah-Yah. The grandchildren were also on hand with their mother, Jennifer Salveson, Renlee, Knud and Jahdo. Son Jesse Salveson was expected to slip in to the ceremony and hear his father speak.

**Veterans Ed Housley, Logan Hickman, Vivian Loudy and John Cain**

The couple married in 1980 later moving to Campbell County in 1993 when the Colonel began the highly successful JROTC program at the high school. “I’m from Lapel, Indiana, and he moved all around with his military family but points to El Paso, Texas, as home,” said Susie. They met when she worked at the credit union at the now closed Fort Benjamin Harrison north of Indianapolis.

**Retired Lt. Col. Knud Salveson was the featured speaker.**

“We ‘re honored to be here (Campbell County) in this great community. We raised our kids here, and I earned my degree in nursing,” said Susie.

**Closing remarks were shared by Memorial Chairman Leroy Morgan, CPO, U-S Navy retired, Commander of the DAV.**

Colonel Salveson posed a question during his brief talk. “What about fighting and patriotism? Those who fought and fight for our country, all that stuff about patriotism and doing the right thing may not be going through their head during combat; I just gotta survive. So, when you think about fighting, go back through the young ladies and men’s heads 20 years ago when we learned about IEDs, improvised explosive devices, with veterans coming back home missing limbs and such? Or 30 years ago in Panama for those young ladies and men? What about Vietnam and Korea 60 and 70 years ago? I call those the forgotten wars where those heroes did not get a welcome home. Those were wars of extremes, freezing at Korea, and jungle heat at Vietnam, all the while bombs and bullets were flying around. The Colonel continued on going all the way back to the Revolutionary War questioning just what had to be going through the heads of those young fighters.

**Twins Andy (left) and David Hickman are with their father, retired Lt. Colonel Logan Hickman, U-S Army.**

“Our flag is probably one of the best looking flags in the world, the mightiest flag in the world, and so is our country. So, I have to say here today, pausing, as his voice broke, looking back and pointing with his thumb at the monument full of the names of fallen soldiers, as we salute the men and women that have died for our country, I’m proud to be an American where, at least, I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died who gave that right to me, and I proudly stand up and defend her still today. ‘Cause there is no doubt. I love this land. God Bless the USA,” said Lt. Colonel Knud Salveson in closing.

See the full photo gallery from the May 26 Memorial Day ceremony from WLAF’s Charlie Hutson here.