Independence Day hosts time-honored — and loud — traditions. Fireworks burst in the sky, bands blast the national anthem, and parades march around town.

Yet, quietly camouflaged around us stand the catalysts for our celebration: veterans and those currently serving in our military.

Larry G. Starling served in the Army in the late 1960s, spending one year in Vietnam. Despite returning home with multiple injuries and losing his right leg in combat, Starling says he sees that time as “a part of my life that I cherish.”

Each year, Starling meets with his brigade at various locations throughout the country. “It’s important that we can be together and understand the experiences we talk about,” he says. “No one else knows what we went through.”

After retiring from a successful career with Piedmont Airlines and U.S. Airways, Starling became more involved with the local American Legion, Post 55. The group regularly volunteers at Salisbury District Hospital and sends care packages to troops to encourage them while they are abroad.

To the veteran, such tireless patriotism comes naturally: “I am proud of those who are serving and who have served, and I just want to support them,” he says. “People have lost sight of why they have freedom — it’s because of the soldier.”