October 30, 2026 — The annual Veterans’ Luncheon at Convention began with the National Anthem and the solemn Missing Man Table reading honoring U.S. service members who are fallen, missing in action (MIA), or prisoners of war (POW), followed by remarks from President Wayne Spence and attendee reflections on September 11th.
Most veterans who were on the ground during World War II and many who served in Vietnam are no longer with us, President Spence said, and following the attacks on Sept. 11, many Americans left their jobs and joined the service.
“I was born toward the end of Vietnam,” the president said, “but there was an ending, there were conflicts here and there, but young people today say all they’ve known is war. It was shocking to hear that.”
Today, people are divided, even among the veteran community, he said.
“Many times, when we have a common enemy, we come together,” President Spence said. “But when we don’t have that common enemy, we turn on each other. I hope at the end of the day, we can come together as a country to serve our veterans.”
Veterans across the world are not getting the services they should be, but the United States is considered one of the worst offenders, with mental health crises and homelessness among the significant problems impacting veterans.
After lunch, Bruce Jagroop invited attendees to reflect on their experiences on Sept. 11, 2001, and several stood up to share with the room.
One survived the collapsing towers but lost a friend. She had not spoken of her experience until that day and still cannot travel beyond Brooklyn Bridge. Another talked about the hours and days that followed the attacks, recalling the chilling silence where there once was music and friends coming together at each other’s homes.
“For days, the only sound you heard was the fighter planes flying over,” she said. “There were no cars driving, no music, no people talking. We sat outside in our backyards or on our stoops just waiting for our friends to call.”
To this day, she can’t stand silence.
The PEF Veterans’ Committee reports to the president and is charged with reviewing issues concerning veterans and making recommendations to the president. The members of the committee are Christopher Buman – Chair, Region 3; Catherine Adams – Region 11; Troy Decker – Region 5; Robert Harms – Retiree; Bruce Jagroop – Region 1, Michael Singleton – Retiree; and PEF Contract Administration Director Ben Traslaviña.
