Wal-Mart, actor Jon Voight salute America’s veterans at Bentonville celebration

Academy Award winner Jon Voight told a crowd gathered Tuesday morning in Bentonville that Americans are “safe and free,” but often take both for granted. Voight was one of the featured speakers and honored guests at Wal-Mart’s annual Veteran’s Day Salute held at its corporate office in Bentonville.

“The more I have traveled and visited with our armed men and women I am convinced they are the best of us,” Voight said. “It’s an important day to remember all our great service men and our heroes who gave of their lives to keep Americans safe and free. … None of our heroes should ever be forgotten.”

Voight challenged all Americans to ask themselves what they can do in return for the sacrifices made so that we remain “safe and free.” He said finding ways to support military families is one good way to show them their work and sacrifices are appreciated.

“America’s greatness is found in the strength of its armed forces … not to conquer but to liberate,” Voight added.

He thanked Wal-Mart for its efforts to hire veterans and also train veteran entrepreneurs through partnerships of the Walmart Foundation.

Other speakers and guests at the Wal-Mart event included the Singing Men of Arkansas who performed the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and the military service song medley;  Gary Profit, director of military programs at Walmart and a retired brigadier general; and World War II veteran Russ Moniker who served at the Battle of the Bulge as a combat medic.

LETTERS FROM HOME
While Voight’s star power filled the auditorium it was the 13-year-old Savannah Maddison who captured the spotlight throughout the two-hour festivities. Maddison helped to open the ceremony by singing the Star Spangled Banner immediately after the honor guard displayed the colors.

Maddison said she was moved by a friend of hers who father was serving in Afghanistan in 2011 to write letters to service men and women serving in the Middle East. The idea caught fire and some 88,000 letters have been written and sent in a program known as Savannah’s Soldiers. Maddison said it got so big she had to set up a 501(c)3 to handle all the gifts being made. Her goal is 100,000 letters and she’s confident it will happen. To be sure, Maddison put in a plug to attend the retailer’s annual shareholder meeting in June.

“I’ve heard it’s a big deal and I hope to be there,” Maddison said.

WAL-MART COMMITMENT
Wal-Mart CEO Doug McMillon opened his segment with a photo of his father Morris McMillion, who was served as a dentist during the Vietnam War.

“Service men in Vietnam might not have thought they needed a dentist, but if they had a toothache in Vietnam, I can assure they needed a dentist,” McMillon said. “I am honored to remember my father’s service today.”

McMillon said Wal-Mart has always bled red, white and blue, not just because it was founded by a veteran but because it seeks to serve where it can, in support of the military. He said that was the reason Wal-Mart made an intentional effort to hire more veterans. The goal to hire 100,000 veterans by 2018, was likely too low. McMillon said in the first 18 months they have already hired 68,000 and promoted 5,000 of them to higher paying jobs.

“We have always hired veterans but this intentional effort has been good, because it has allowed us to focus on more ways to facilitate in the transition from active service to civilian work. We know this is good our company and it’s good for America,” McMillon said.

Candice Lovelace began her career at Wal-Mart about one month ago after serving six years in the U.S. Navy as an operations officer. The 28-year-old Lovelace told The City Wire she got interested in the military during high school in her hometown in Georgia.

“I grew up in a single family home and I was drawn to the ROTC program looking for male leadership, somewhat father figures that were missing in my life. It was a great fit for me. I love the organization, regimen that comes with the military. I attended Spelman College on an ROTC scholarship and then went into the Navy as an officer. It’s been a wonderful journey for me. I never dreamed that would be the path I would take,” Lovelace said.

She was recently recruited to Wal-Mart at a hiring fair and is now training at the Bentonville distribution center to be an operations manager. 

“I have about one more month of training here and I will return home to Georgia and take over some operational management duties at a distribution center there. I see lots of opportunities for advancement in the operational division at Wal-Mart and I am embracing this new role. I think the military prepared me a great career at Wal-Mart,” Lovelace said.

Lt. Gen. Sam Cox, director of workforce management at Pentagon, was also a guest at Tuesday’s event. Cox said the hiring of veterans by Wal-Mart and other companies is timely as the military continues to reduce force levels. Last year, he said 17,000 service men and women joined the civilian ranks because of the cutbacks. He said they have a will and a need to serve and it’s important for companies to recognize and take advantage of this talent pool.

SERVICE/REMEMBRANCE
Derrick Van Orden, a recently retired Navy Seal who also acted in the movie “Act of Valor,” told the crowd that he’s adjusting to civilian life just one month into his retirement. The 45-year-old Van Orden said the Navy was a way up for him. A high school dropout at age 16, he eventually joined the military and somehow wound up at BUDs — Basic Underwater Demolition — for 24 weeks of training.

He said the training is intense. The reason “Act of Valor” was made was to draw attention to the Seals in hopes of getting more recruits. He said out of the class of 500, 499 of them failed, leaving just one Seal to promote, a few years back.

“I’m 45 years old and when I look at the training today, it’s hard to believe I could have done it. The model is to equip a team to endure and accomplish a mission, no matter how great the sacrifice of any one member. The mission accomplished must prevail,” he said.

Van Orden said in early 2002 he was in charge of tactical training for group of 50 Seals headed to the Middle East to fight the Taliban. He said there was a horrific snowstorm at Fort Chaffee where the training was taking place. 

“We were to spend two weeks in the fields, and we didn’t have rubber boots. Thank God the local Wal-Mart in Fort Smith had 50 pairs of boots for the team so they didn’t lose any time. It’s pretty neat when you think that someone, somewhere ordered those boots and stocked them, just at the exact time they were needed to help with a military mission,” Van Orden said.

That was his first trip to Arkansas and one he will never forget.

“All over the country, there’s someone about to clean a toilet, stock a shelf, sweep a floor. It’s not about the job one has to be proud, it’s about the work,” he said. “I am grateful for companies like Wal-Mart giving our service men and women a chance to perform work they can be proud of.”