By: Taylor Christensen | Southfield Sun | Published November 11, 2025
SOUTHFIELD — The city of Southfield held its Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 7, which included speakers, a wreath-laying, a 21-gun salute and more.
Barbara Seldon, vice chair of the Southfield Veterans Commission, began the ceremony on Friday.
“No mission is too difficult, no task is too great. I salute them (veterans) from every major conflict, including the Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Dominican Republic War … as a matter of fact, all wars,” Seldon said. “Each war is recognized as a vital link in the chain of dedicated human rights that kept the nation strong and free.”
David Coulter, Oakland County executive, spoke during the ceremony.
“I am always so honored to be here. This is a really special day where we pause to honor and celebrate those who have shielded us from the dangers of this world and in the face of tyranny. It’s an amazing act of bravery for you to enlist, and we are honored to be able to recognize you today,” Coulter said to the veterans. “In Oakland County, there’s over 53,000 veterans across our county, and we are so proud of each and every one of you for the sacrifices that you have made.”
Coulter said that veterans are encouraged to contact the Oakland County Veterans’ Services to make sure they have the benefits they earned.
“If you have questions, you or your dependents, for the benefits that you have earned, we want to assist you in doing that,” he said. “I am certainly not going to get political, but there’s been a lot of cuts at the federal level and at the state level, and one thing we are not going to allow to get cut is our veteran services.”
Coulter said that Oakland County has created the program “Be a Hero, Support a Hero,” a campaign where anyone across the county, state or world can support benefits in Oakland County by making a tax deductible contribution.
To donate, visit oaklandthrive.org/SupportAHero or call (248) 858-8016. For more information, visit oakgov.com.
During the event, James Elias Jackson, a 91-year-old veteran of the Korean War, was honored with a certificate by the Mayor of Southfield, Ken Siver.
Jackson lives in Southfield and served as a combat infantry trainer in the Marines from 1952 to 1954. According to Siver, Jackson had to have very close contact with the opponents during the Korean War.
Following his departure from the Marines, Jackson worked for General Motors for 49 years and retired in 1996 as an international representative for the United Auto Workers.
“How blessed I am to be a proud Marine. … The Marine Corps was my teacher. I am telling you, it was my teacher. When I went into the Marines, I knew very little about the world and how to deal with people. It helped me to step into one of my greatest accomplishments of my life, being a role model and raising my four children — three daughters and one son,” Jackson said.
Jackson shared what he learned during his time in the Marines, mentioning that his experience helped shape him into the worker he was after his time in the service.
“I learned how to be a great leader. … The seed that was planted during my time at boot camp came when I was appointed as a platoon leader. The sergeant officer saw something in me that he made me the platoon leader when I first got there,” he said. “I learned how important it was to serve others, to help people in need. I spent my entire career focusing on helping people who needed my support and being a voice for others.”
The event continued with a presentation of flowers, where each veteran got to get up in front of the audience and place a rose into a vase in honor of a soldier they wanted to recognize. The vase of flowers was then given to Jackson.
Outside following the ceremony, the Southfield Police Department performed the 21-gun salute, and a wreath was placed at the Southfield Veterans Memorial.
For more information on the city of Southfield, visit cityofsouthfield.com.