FORT NOVOSEL, Ala.-- Fort Novosel hosted a Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 8, honoring the nations veterans both past and present.

Maj. Gen. Clair A. Gill, U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Novosel commanding general, spoke at the ceremony and expressed gratitude to the veterans and local community leaders.

“A veteran is someone who, at some point in their life, stepped up,” said Gill. “They had many options available to them, but they chose to serve their nation, don the uniform, and serve. If asked to do it, they agreed to deploy, fight, and potentially put their life on the line. I could not be more proud of everyone here and of our veterans standing here today.”

Gill said that he recently attended the Army vs. Air Force football game and heard the coach of the Army football team speak on the win and the importance of a good second string. The coach had expressed that the young men and women at the Academy know their job is to be ready to step up.

“If you’re a helicopter pilot and you get sick one day, the mission doesn’t just go away,” said the coach, “someone has to be ready to step up.”

“I adopted that idea,” said Gill. “It’s what we do, we step up. I wasn’t going to be able to make it today due to travel, so I called our Deputy Commanding General, Brig. Gen. Kenneth C. Cole, and asked him to fill in to speak today. He said he would step up. I think you all are really going to enjoy what he has for you all today.”

Cole thanked the past and future service members and the veteran family members for their love and support and gave a brief history on Armistice Day which later became Veterans Day.

“The person responsible for Veterans Day, the holiday as we know it today,” said Cole, “was a WWII veteran from Alabama, Raymond Weeks. He organized a parade and festivities to honor all veterans on Armistice Day 1947. In 1954 congress passed the bill to proclaim Nov. 11 to honor all veterans who served past and present. We have an Alabaman to thank for that.”

Cole asked everyone in attendance to stand to their feet.

“Step up, please,” said Cole. “Everyone in this audience is either a veteran, a parent, a sibling, a child, a brother or a sister or supporter of a veteran. I would like to offer you all a round of applause. Thank you, veterans, you are what this day is about.”

Cole continued by telling the story of a fellow veteran and U.S. Army aviator, retired Chief Warrant Officer Five Dave Cooper. Cooper graduated basic training in 1985 followed by Warrant Officer Candidate School and Flight School with the Apache course at Fort Rucker.

“In the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm in 1991,” said Cole, “He actually led the airborne escort that took Gen. Schwarzkopf to the peace negotiations following the end of hostilities.”

“But I want to take you forward to 2007, during one of Dave’s 23 rotations to combat,” said Cole. “On this day he would distinguish himself through conspicuous gallantry in action while serving as an AH-6 Little Bird attack pilot operating against enemy force north of Taji, Iraq on Nov. 27.”

His team was going on a planned mission, according to Cole, going after a known terrorist leader in Baghdad.

“His wingman calls ‘mayday-mayday’ which he had never heard before besides in the movies,” said Cole. “He crashed after sustaining damage to his tail rotor from enemy fire. He and all the other aircraft landed to assist the fallen bird and crew that were still alive. Then, Cooper and his copilot took off positioning directly into incoming fire. This enemy was more mobile than our ground forces, had significantly larger weapon systems, and grossly outnumbered them.”

According to Cole, Cooper understood this would be how he died, returning to fight against enemy fire. He continued with complete disregard for his own safety.

“Dave flew his lone aircraft to the enemy and began to engage repeatedly,” said Cole. “Making several passes he initially destroyed multiple gun trucks killing the enemy personnel. When his chances of being shot down were very high, he refueled and rearmed using the stores from his wingman who had just been shot down. Without his efforts, the ground forces would have been heavily engaged and taken many casualties”

For his actions, he was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest award for valor.

Cole read a recent note from Cooper regarding the passion he still has for having not just served in the Army, but in Army Aviation.

“Dave stepped up,” said Cole. “He stepped up back in 2007 and in many other ways. It’s important to tell your stories, you never know when you might reach someone trying to find their way. Someone who can be all they can be.”

He closed his speech by asking everyone to keep service members who are currently deployed around the world and their families in their thoughts and prayers.