Many area communities honored our nation’s veterans with ceremonies recognizing those who have served and are serving in the armed forces.
Shawano
In Shawano, the community was invited to the middle school. A number of students spoke at the ceremony and it also featured renditions of service songs and hymns performed by the Shawano Community Middle School Band. Sergeant Rod Watson, who is the Associate Prinicipal at the middle school, shared his excitement with those on hand about the importance of Veterans Day.
“I love Veterans Day,” he beamed. “I love the ceremony, the idea of respecting service in the community.”
Commander Rob Chelberg was the Keynote Speaker and asked the audience to think about how they can make a difference on a day like Veterans Day.
“Ask a veteran about the time they spent in the military and really listen to their answer,” Chelber told those in attendance. “Visit a veteran who can’t get out of their home. Talk with them. Thank them for their service. Write a letter to somebody who is serving. Call a veteran family member and just say hi.”
The City of Shawano also held a service outside of the courthouse. One speaker’s words resonated with the crowd, as he explained the heartbreaking loss of his 18-year-old son in Iraq. “If you want to know the price of freedom, of what these men did, and their brothers and sisters, go to Arlington Cemetery,” he said.
Veterans were also honored at a recent Shawano County Board meeting. County Board Supervisor Roger Miller says he often times misses the men and women that he served with. After he was out of the Army, Miller explained that he suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but not the kind that many people have come to expect.
“What mine is, is survivor guilt,” Miller said. “If you know it, recognize it.” He says soldiers were treated much differently when they returned from service while he was in the military, something he’s happy to see changed.
“It’s a totally different time from when I was in. People would spit at you, call you a baby killer and all that. All of a sudden now, people are saying thank you for your service, which is kind of still heart rendering.”
Bill Berkhahn, who also serves on the county board, joined the Reserves in 1989, in part because he was told they weren’t deployed since the Vietnam War, but unfortunately for Berkhahn, he wouldn’t be as lucky.
“I graduated August 2, 1990, and if anyone knows their dates, it’s the same day Iraq invaded Kuwait. Three months later, guess where I was sitting? My recruiter lied to me. I turned 18 and was sitting three miles from the Iraqi border.”
Other long-time veterans honored included Ann Holcomb, the Evidence Specialist at the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department, who experienced a lot in her time of service.
“I was hand picked to be the First Sergeant for a field service company for Operation Enduring Freedom. I was in Iraq two times. I discovered 250,000 gallons of fuel, and I designed and facilitated the operation of retrieving, and provided the fuel to the Iraqi villagers. I am now, and always have been prepared, to give my life for this country’s defense. It’s been an honor for me to serve,” Holcomb said with emotion.
Leanne Watry is a retired Air Force Veteran who served during the Cold War, and though she didn’t serve during a time of conflict, she had the opportunity to travel the world. Watry said while most of her comments about her time in the Air Force were light-hearted, she wants people to know that active service men and women face a dangerous world.
“What did I learn? Pretty much the same thing as anyone else. Keep your eyes on the ball, love the ones that you’re with, even if it’s your tent mates, and remember that every day is a gift.”
New London
The city of New London honored the nation’s veterans during its celebration at the New London Middle School. First Sergeant Jesse Hedtke, a graduate and resident of New London, was on hand to deliver the Keynote speech.
In an excerpt of his speech: “Live your life well and be productive citizens. Veterans Day is set aside to remember every man and woman who has taken up arms and defended our country. We honor every soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, and Coast Guardsman, who have given the best years of their lives, missed the birthdays of their first-born child, missed anniversaries, and so many other things. To serve this United States and stood right, to give their lives on our behalf. Twenty-six million military veterans walk among us, and on this day, our nation salutes all of them.”
First Sergeant Hedtke says the things he’s seen in the Middle East have helped him come to appreciate the simple freedoms and rights Americans have. Being mindful of the men and women who gave their lives for those Freedoms, is what he says Veterans Day means to him.
“Being around the world and seeing other countries, other governments, how they treat their society, how people live, it’s truly a blessing to be an American,” he said. “To see all of the luxuries that we have here, and all the men and women who have fought for those freedoms for us to live the way we live.”
Hedtke said it was an honor speaking in front of those in New London, like the ceremonies he saw growing up as a student, something he had never envisioned when he was child.
Keshena
In Keshena, Veterans were honored at the Menominee Indian High School. The students of the 4th and 5th grade middle school chorus honored all branches of the military, by singing an Armed Forces Medley.
John Teller, who served in the Marines, delivered the opening speech to the crowd. He explained exactly what today is about.
“Today is for each and every one of our brave men and women who signed that dotted line to serve in our nation’s military,” Teller explained. “One of the main reasons was for each and every one you, all of our children, our young people we see standing behind us. That’s why we serve in the military, among other reasons. It’s to protect our families, our communities, our nation.”
Teller also spoke about the country’s current climate towards the flag, the National Anthem, and more.
“Some of the things we’re seeing today in the news and in the media, it kind of saddens me and frustrates me as a veteran. I see flags being burnt on TV. I see athletes kneeling down during the National Anthem. Those types of things are very insulting, not only to me, but to all of our nation’s military, and that’s not what today is about. Today is about thanking our brave men and women who served in the armed forces.”
The ceremony featured more performances by the elementary school chorus, as well as the Menominee Indian Middle School and high school bands.
