ORANGE PARK – A grateful community gathered on Wednesday, May 22, to honor members of the U.S. Military at the annual Clay Chamber appreciation luncheon at the Thrasher-Horne Center.

In addition to recognizing 98-year-old Gunnery Sgt. George Smith, Veteran of the Year Ret. U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Erick L. Saks of Operation Lifeline and military members of the year Kenyatta Flowers, Aaron Doane, Tallia Piggee, Yameliz Rodriguez, Jennifer Momodu and Fallyn Spinks, the sellout audience heard from U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Daniel Broadhurst, the  HITRON Commanding Officer.

Vice Chairman David A. King opened the ceremony by talking about Smith, who fought in World War II and Korea.

“Let’s take a moment to pause and reflect on why we are here today. We are here today because of men like 98-year-old Master Gunnery Sgt. George Smith,” King said.

A minute-long standing ovation followed.

“Thank you, George, thank you for your service. And thank you for honoring all of us with your presence today.

“If my dad was standing up here beside me today, he would tell you that he didn’t do anything different or anything better than any other man in his unit. To that, I would say, ‘Dad, what about all these medals that you were given?’ He would always say, ‘Son, each of those medals was just the result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.’”

Ret. U.S. Army Col. Matt Johnson then introduced a surprised Saks as the Veteran of the Year.

“I definitely can’t believe it, but I appreciate the recognition,” Saks said. “There’s so much more that we still want to get done. Operation Lifeline we are focused on veteran housing. It’s that simple.”

The nonprofit started small and has quickly evolved into a significant group that’s helped veterans stay or get into homes.

“We started with simple things just like helping people who didn’t have the funds to help themselves veterans,” he said. “This is where we focus. This is what we call home. And we’ve got some great things on going.”

Saks said his group helps veterans with maintenance so they can stay in their homes. Now, it is expanding to build an inventory of affordable homes.

Keynote speaker Capt. Broadhurst told remarkable accounts of his daily duties with the Coast Guard’s HITRON Unit.

The Jacksonville-based group used helicopters to intercept drug smugglers on the high seas in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game that involved seizures worth as much as $50 million.

“We are a Swiss Army knife to the federal government,” Broadhurst said. “Whatever you need, we can do it.”

Broadhurst graduated from a Clay County high school in 1996 and still lives here. His group patrols the seas, or “wherever they need us to go,” and applies force under Title 14 to stop drug smugglers.

Instead of explaining their mission, Broadhurst showed videos of them in action.

After ordering a speeding boat to stop for inspection, a marksman in a helicopter fired several rounds of 50- or 60-caliber warning shots “to tell them politely stop” in front of the boat. If that doesn’t work, the shooter changed guns and fired at the boat’s engines.

Once disabled, a Coast Guard ship arrived and boarded the boat.

“Why do we do it? Sure, we do for drugs. Drugs are bad. We all know that,” Broadhurst said. “But it’s more than that. It’s bigger than just drugs. It’s geopolitical geopolitics and the stability that the southern border right now is being flooded with migrants who are coming from Central and South America and primarily who can’t live where they live. The drugs destabilize China, and Russia is more than happy to put techno precursors and destabilize the local economy.”

HITRON has 272 members, and yet they make up about 40% of the United States’ drug seizures.

“I see where we fit into the global world,” Broadhurst said. “I think some of this will ring true for all of you and the nation. There’s a job to do. We're here because there is a reason. There is instability. We do have a drug problem, over 140,000 Americans every year. That's why we're here. The nation has a need.”