Trony Wyrick learned everything she knows from the military. 

Well, pretty much. 

The Army veteran – who was the keynote speaker at Tuesday’s Veteran’s Day ceremony at the Lathrop Veterans’ Wall – talked about how her time in the service helped instill in her a sense of pride and teamwork that carried over into everything she did, even after being discharged. 

She raised her sons in military fashion – dishing out pushups as punishment. 

And it worked. Her oldest son is currently serving in Afghanistan doing something – she says that she prefers that she not know exactly what it is, praying daily for his safety and his safe return.

“I used to make them do pushups, and now one of them does them for a living,” Wyrick joked.

But there was also a tone of seriousness to what she had to say to the nearly 200 people that attended the annual ceremony to honor those that served in the armed forces. 

Because sometimes, when you wear that uniform, Wyrick said, you have to make sacrifices that you wouldn’t otherwise have to do and it often times take somebody else that put on that uniform – or who was raised around it – that truly understands what that means. 

“I’m so proud of you – my brothers and sisters. We know what it’s like to leave our families because we have to go. But you are not abandoned. It’s not easy for the children or the spouses or those who have to stay behind because we have to step up and serve,” she said, emotionally. “There’s a sacrifice that you have to make from the time that you put on that uniform. There’s a cost to wear that uniform. Not a lot of people know that. But you do.”

The event, which was put on by the Lathrop Veteran’s Day Committee – one of the Mayor’s Committee – included an invocation by Pastor Paul Pellizzari of Grace Community Baptist Church. Eagle Scout Robert Smith of Troop No. 425 led the Pledge of Allegiance, and Diana Hernandez sang the National Anthem. The benediction was read by Evangelist Lincoln Stratton of French Camp Church of Christ. The Lathrop High School JROTC posted and retired the colors. 

“We just want to say thank you to all of the veterans of all of the wars and all of those that served,” said committee chair Arnita Montiel. “This has always been a great event and it’s great to see so many people coming out to pay tribute to those that served this great country.”