Veterans Day Salute 2015

Dentist in AfghanistanLuke Waln of Nisswa Smiles

VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015

P L U S+ Lessons at War- Bob Turcotte+ Veteran Roundup+ Local Photo Submissions

A publication of the Brainerd Dispatch and Echo Journal

VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015VETERANS DAY 2015

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November 11, 2015

StaffPUBLISHERS

Tim BogenschutzPete Mohs

ADVERTISING DIRECTORPhil Seibel

ADVERTISING MANAGERSusie Alters

ART DIRECTOR Lisa Henry

COPY EDITORSNancy Vogt

DeLynn Howard

MARKETING COORDINATORLeo Miller

ADVERTISINGBrainerd Dispatch and Echo

Publishing Media Consultants

ADVERTISING DESIGNERSAndy Goble, Angela Hoefs, Cindy Spilman, Sue Stark

CUSTOMER SERVICEMarva Pearson Kori Flowers

CONTACT US:[email protected]

(218) 855-5895 ATTN: Salute

Brainerd Dispatch, P.O. Box 974,

Brainerd, MN 56401

Veterans Day Saluteis an annual publication of

Brainerd Dispatch and Echo Journal. Printed by Forum Communications.

copyright© 2013VOLUME 3, FALL 2015

CONTENTS ‘15

S luteVeterans Day 2015

S lute Veterans Day • November 2015 3

To our readers, It is publications like this that really highlight our

lakes area community support and citizenship. Thank you to all who submitted photos of your dearly

loved veterans. We are so very honored to be able to put together such a special publication.

A special thank you to our loyal advertisers who make this project possible with their remarkable support!

~ Brainerd Dispatch and Echo Journal

Features

Also in this issue

On The Cover Veteran Luke Waln, with son,

Zach, 11, and daughter, Tori, 9. Photo submitted by Luke Waln

Veterans Day ...... 4How many branches of military are there? What is the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day? These questions and more answered.

Civil War Vets ......... 5Stone markers quietly honor the veterans at Evergreen Cemetery.

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Dentist in AfghanistanBy Nancy VogtLuke Waln finds his niche in the Army and in the dentistry field.

Lessons in WarBy Mike O’RourkeBob Turcotte, ill, starved and lost during WWII, found familiar faces and made lifelong connections.

Veterans RoundupBy Travis GrimlerVeteran services, events and activities.

Ralph Yeager Army, WWII

4 S lute Veterans Day • November 2015

History, facts and symbolsVETERANS DAY

On the 11th day of the 11th hour on the 11th month in 1918 the armistice agreement between Germans and Al-lied troops was signed ending battles of World War I after four years of con-tinuous warfare.

Elevens

Did you know?

Branches of U.S. Military

Army

Navy

Air Force

Coast Guard

Marine Corps

What is the di�erence between Memorial Day

and Veterans Day?

This is a frequently asked question. According to the U.S. Department of Veter-ans Affairs FAQs page:

Memorial Day is for remembering those who lost their lives in service, especially those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle.

Veterans Day is to thank and honor all those who served and are still serving our country. Both living and deceased veterans are appreciated and acknowl-edged on this day.For more FAQs go to

http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetday_faq.asp

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs FAQs page:

remembering those who lost their lives in service, especially those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle.

remembering those who lost their lives in service, especially those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle.

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson declared

Nov. 11 “Armistice Day” and the day

became a federal holiday in 1938. That

act was amended in 1954 after veterans

service organizations asked that the day

be renamed “Veterans Day” so it honored

all soldiers and not just those who fought in World War I.

Veteran’s Day or Veterans’ Day or Veterans Day? This is a very common mixup.Veterans Day is spelled sans apostrophe

because it is for all veterans (plural), but not belonging to them specifically.

Armistice to Veterans Day

Correct Punctuation?

Individual school districts establish their own policies for school closings. While there is no requirement to close school on Veterans Day, most schools are open, like those in the lakes area, and celebrate with special programs, parades and/or guest speakers.


Hiram Abbott (1831-1912) Co. C, 27th Iowa Inf ’yFrench Barnes (1844-1931) Co. C, 148th Ill. Inf ’yCharles A. Barr (1836-1913) Co. K, 13th N.Y. Inf ’yAlexander Belongy (1827-1911) Co. E, 3rd Ill. CavalryWilliam E. Gilpatrick (1837-1910) 2nd Minn. Light ArtilleryGeorge W. Healey (1844-1908) Co. B, 3rd N.H. Inf ’yCharles Laurel (1832-1916)

Co. H, 14th Conn. Inf ’yAlbert C. Leach (1835-1909) Co. H, 5th Minn. Inf ’yLewis G. Moses (1839-1920) Co. F, 9th Minn. Inf ’yIsrael Potvin (1846-1915) Co. E, 11th Minn. Inf ’yHenry Ritchie (1842-1918) Co. A, 10th Minn. Luke A. Smith (1846-1936) Co. E, 7th Iowa Cavalry Inf ’y

Photo submitted by Karen Lentz, executive director for Evergreen Cemetery, Brainerd. Names of the headstones listed below.CIVIL WAR VETS

OF BLOCK 24

Included among the many veterans’ graves in Ever-green and Memorial gardens cemeteries are these 12 Civil War veteran stones in a plot owned by the

Grand Army of the Republic. GAR is a veteran organiza-tion formed a�er the Civil War for union veterans.

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Tanner Auto Companies SALUTES all Veterans

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Thank You

God Bless America

6 S lute Veterans Day • November 2015 S lute Veterans Day • November 2015 76 S lute Veterans Day • November 2015

By Nancy VogtEcho Journal Editor

oday you’ll �nd Luke Waln �lling

a cavity or placing a crown at

Nisswa Smiles, the dental prac-

tice he’s owned since 2009 on Main Street

in Nisswa. Back in 2006, Waln was practic-

ing dentistry overseas – in Afghanistan

with the U.S. Army.

TBesides U.S. troop dental patients, Luke Waln (far right), treated Afghanistan locals and allies to build trust during his 16-month deployment. Photos Submitted by Luke Waln

Luke Waln, with son, Zach, 11, and daughter, Tori, 9, said he doesn’t have any regrets about his Army career, but admitted it was difficult being away from his family.

DENTIST IN AFGHANISTAN


We Salute Our VeteransTo all of our veterans and active-duty military, we thank you for your service.

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“When I deployed I had about 3,500 to 4,000 troops I was caring for,” Waln said. “We did a lot of medical missions into the Afghan countryside and treated locals and Afghan Army guys on our side. Our goal was trying to win the hearts and minds of the local people so they’d give us informa-tion on the bad guys.”

Waln, 39 and a charismatic father of two, grew up in Wadena and

comes from “a hugely patriotic family.” His grandfather served in the Marines during the World War II timeframe and his father in the Army during Vietnam. His old-est brother served two tours in the Gulf War with the Air Force, and his next oldest brother served with the Air Force during peacetime.

“I never had a doubt I was going into the military of some sort,” Waln said.

A�er graduating from Wadena-Deer Creek High School in 1994, Waln earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in biology in 1998 from St. John’s University in Collegeville, where he joined the Army Reserve O�cer Training Corps (ROTC). He had an obligation to serve four years active duty with the Army, but got an educational delay to spend four years at dental school at the University of Minnesota.

“I just knew I wanted to do something in the healthcare �eld,” Waln said, noting he considered pediatrics or internal medicine.

“I never had a doubt I was going into the mili-

tary of some sort.”- Luke Waln

Thank you to all our Veteran’s for their

Service to our Country and our people

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“It (dentistry) just seemed to �t. I wanted to be my own boss and run my own business.”

�e day he graduated from den-tal school, he was commissioned a captain in the Army and spent �ve months in San Antonio, Texas, receiving additional training. He then did a one-year residency in the Advanced Education in General Dentistry program at Fort Jackson Army Base in Columbia, S.C.

“It was awesome. I learned more in that one year than my four years of training,” Waln said, noting he was immersed in learning a little bit about everything.

In 2004, Waln moved to Fort Drum near Watertown, N.Y., where he was the assistant o�cer in charge of the dental clinic for the 3rd Bri-gade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, which Waln said is the most deployed unit in the Army.

“So when I went, I knew I would be deployed,” he said.

A year and a half later, Waln re-ceived orders to deploy to Afghani-stan. He deployed in February 2006 and was in Afghanistan for nearly 16 months, until June 2007.

“I was really clueless and didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “I don’t really have any regrets. It was tough being away from my family.”

Waln’s son, Zach, 11, was born in South Carolina, and daughter Tori, 9, was born during his deployment. He was able to come home for two

weeks when she was 10 days old, but remained deployed for the �rst nine months of her life.

In Afghanistan, Waln was part of a two-chair portable dental clinic that saw dental patients seven days a week. �e clinic had modern equip-ment, and Waln did digital X-rays, whitened teeth and did crowns, root canals and extractions.

“We had a regular buzzing little o�ce,” he said.

A typical day included working out and running in the morning and at night, and treating patients during the day.

“�ere’s never a weekend,” said Waln. He frequently went on mis-sions into the countryside. �ey’d load their gear, �y by helicopter to the mountaintop or the Pech River Valley, drop the gear from the heli-copter and jump out. �ey’d work a week to 10 days and then load up and move to the next location. He served at bases that were rocketed or shot at.

Overall, Waln said his deploy-

ment was a good experience. It was exciting and fun, and he was proud to serve his country. He’s always believed in serving his community, so he was willing to go wherever he was needed. �ough Afghanistan is an ugly, dirty country, he said the Himalayan mountains are beautiful.

When he returned home, Waln got out of the Army, though he hasn’t ruled out joining the Army National Guard or Reserve if either needs a dentist. He is a member of the Nisswa American Legion and is a lifelong member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

�ough no longer an active member of the Army, Waln hasn’t forgotten about other troops. Each Halloween, Nisswa Smiles o�ers a candy buyback, where the business will pay children for their candy and then package it to be sent to troops overseas.

“Soldiers love candy. It’s a morale booster,” he said, noting he remem-bers how he loved to receive care packages while in Afghanistan. “Not everyone is lucky enough to have someone to send stu�.”

NANCY VOGT is editor of the Pine-andlakes Echo Journal. Reach her at

[email protected]. Follow her at facebook.com/PEJNancy and on

Twitter @PEJ_Nancy.

Dr. Luke Waln is shown on a medical mission in a remote forward operating base in the mountains of Afghanistan.

While deployed, Dr. Luke Waln, right, teaches a physician’s assistant basic den-tal first aid in case of a dental emergency

while out on a mission.

“I was really clueless and didn’t know what to expect.”

- Luke Waln on his deployment


Norbert e. rauWWII, Navy

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ClareNCe l. WarNerWWII, Army

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tiMothy l. JohNsoNAir Force, 1982-1986Deceased 6/16/2012

bill latourMarines, Vietnam

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With Respect, Honor and Gratitude

12 S lute Veterans Day • November 201512 S lute Veterans Day • November 2015

By Mike O’RourkeFeature Writer

ob Turcotte, a World War II soldier in

his early 20s, waited along with oth-

er GIs for gear to be unloaded from a

U.S. Navy ship to a smaller craft. That craft would

carry the soldiers’ personal e�ects to them at a

harbor near Naples, Italy. After training in the U.S.

and in Africa, it was the soldiers’ �rst day in war-

torn Europe.

B

LESSONS AT WAR

Bob and Joyce Turcotte, shown at their north Brainerd home, have been married 46 years.

LESSONS AT WAR

Bob Turcotte’s

Bob Turcotte, 95, shared a scrapbook of memories put together by his mother. Photos by Steve Kohls

S lute Veterans Day • November 2015 13 S lute Veterans Day • November 2015 13

Turcotte’s World War II ser-vice began with a splash. �e north Brainerd resident recalled a big hoist was used to unload the equipment and news spread quickly among the soldiers that one du�el bag had landed in the water. Call it fate or Murphy’s Law, the young Brainerd soldier soon learned the doused du�el bag was his. For Turcotte, that was the ill-fated start of his role in the libera-tion of Italy from Germany’s �ird Reich. He had already experienced scorching temperatures in Africa, where the Allied soldiers’ train-ing had to be conducted at night. During his time in Italy he would experience enemy �re, numbing

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Happy Veterans Day!

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We honoryour service.

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cold and severe illness, but upon arrival his �rst challenge was to li� the already-heavy du�el bag, which was now soaking wet and twice as cumbersome.

“No dry blankets,” Turcotte said. “No dry clothes.”

He relied on his buddies for dry clothes. �e help he received from fellow soldiers, not just in that instance but throughout the war, is what he credits for his ability to make it through the hard times of World War II. One GI friend, he recalled, was a veteran of the Civilian Conservation Corps, who “knew the ropes” and had acquired skills that were useful to a soldier. During basic training a sergeant was impressed Turcotte was the only soldier who had followed through on his instruction to get a short haircut. Turcotte was singled out for his ability to follow simple directions.

“He took me under his wing,” Turcotte said. “I became his gunner corporal.”

�e United States, Turcotte said, was slow to enter World War II. Hitler’s forces invaded Poland in September of 1939. �e U.S. didn’t declare war until shortly a�er Pearl Harbor was attacked on Dec. 7, 1941.

“Hitler could have won this war,” he said.

Just as nearly everyone past a certain age now remembers where they were when they heard of the 9/11 attacks, Turcotte has vivid memories of when he learned of Japan’s attack at Pearl Harbor. He was a college student at Hamline University.

“I was in the day room,” he said. “All the women started screaming.”

His plans to come home and help run the family grocery store – a Fairway store located where Shep’s

on Sixth is now located – were postponed when he was dra�ed in the fall of 1942, a few months a�er he graduated from Hamline.

He wanted to go to war, he said. Most of his peers also wanted to do what they could to �ght the Axis. It was a thrilling feeling to board the ship that was headed for Africa and then Italy in the early years of U.S. involvement, he said. But a sinking feeling started to set in as soldiers watched the U.S. shoreline slowly fade away and the realization hit them they wouldn’t see their home-land for years.

During basic training Turcotte grew from 138 pounds to 160 pounds and as he recalled, “it was all muscle.” Trained to serve in the artillery for the 91st Infantry Divi-sion, Turcotte saw �ghting up close, but mostly recalled the hardships and deprivations soldiers su�ered during everyday life as well as the

Bob Turcotte’s Army photo hangs on a wall in his house amongst other family memorabilia including relatives who have served in the military.


odd coincidences that took place during war.

While training in Africa the troops arrived before their food supply and two men would share a serving of canned corn beef as their daily ration.

When his division was spear-heading an o�ensive in Italy, the soldiers once again found them-selves ahead of their food trucks and someone had to search for the missing trucks. A lieutenant said, “I volunteer myself and Turcotte,” and o� they went in a Jeep that would soon draw �re from enemy machine guns.

During a freezing winter in Italy, one soldier rigged up a furnace for the main tent. Gas that was neces-sary for the furnace was siphoned out of Army trucks so the soldiers could get some warmth. When spring came the siphoned gas tanks were noticed by the Army brass.

“We got chewed out something terrible,” Turcotte said.

Despite his part in those trans-gressions, Turcotte went on to earn a Bronze Star for meritorious service and be promoted to �rst sergeant.

A�er being hospitalized with yellow jaundice, Turcotte was sent back to his division in a freezing cold boxcar because the trucks headed to his artillery comrades had already le�. At a certain point he had to resort to hitchhiking until his supply sergeant, Loren Croone, saw him and gave him a ride. Turcotte said he still keeps in touch with Croone. He lives in Stillwater and they check on each other every other week. Turcotte

S lute Veterans Day • November 2015 15www.midmnba.org | (218) 829-4982

Stick With A Pro!The Mid-Minnesota Builders Association is proud of their Veteran members and encourages the public to support them.

Visit our website for a list of our members.

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Turcotte said one of his proudest days was when he lined up with fellow military recruits in front of the Crow Wing County Courthouse, before being shipped off to basic training. The Brainerd Daily Dispatch published a photo of the young men who were on their way to war.

Ruins in Italy

In the Newspaper

Propaganda

Claude Holden

German prisoners in Po Valley, Italy“The Allies are in Germany!

What are you defending Italy for?”

was hospitalized for a second time and his Jeep driver got lost on his way back to his division. While in the hospital Turcotte had not been able to write home and his parents were writing every Brainerd soldier they knew in order to �nd out his whereabouts. As Turcotte and his driver were trying to �nd their way, Turcotte ran into Clarence Holden, another Brainerd soldier. Holden told Turcotte his parents were try-ing to reach him.

�e U.S. soldiers were used to a night-time pass by a German air-cra� that dropped bombs nearby, usually not causing any damage. �ey nicknamed the aviator “Bed-check Charlie” On Christmas Eve, Turcotte said, the aviator �ew over and tipped his wings instead of dropping any bombs.

By November of 1945 the war

was over and he was back in Brain-erd. It was time to begin his post-World War II life.

“My dad took me to the Elks (club) and bought me a Tom and Jerry,” he said of his homecoming.

As Turcotte approached another Veterans Day, this one 70 years re-moved from the end of World War II, he spoke of being at military concerts where songs representing di�erent branches were played and veterans were asked to stand when their song was played. He said he was always proud to stand up.

A�er years in the grocery busi-ness Turcotte joined the Brainerd Dispatch advertising department in 1959. He was an advertising repre-sentative and was eventually named advertising manager, a post he served in until 1985. He continued to work in the advertising depart-

ment and also compiled the ‘�is Was Brainerd’ feature for the paper until 2008.

He was happy to be home a�er the war but the transition wasn’t without adjustments. He admit-ted to feeling a little apprehensive about taking on the responsibilities of helping run the family grocery business so soon a�er returning from war. He said he was “not in the groove for a long time.”

His eventual adjustment to civil-ian life was made easier a�er he married his wife, Joyce and they started a family. �ey’ve been mar-ried 64 years.

Among the lessons the war taught him was sympathy for the su�ering of other people. He and a buddy received a three-day pass to Rome where they were advised to stay with an Italian family that

Turcotte’s Memorobilia

Turcotte, Jack Englehart, Medic.Soldiers

shared what it had with the sol-diers. Turcotte wouldn’t allow the family to use their valuable meat rations so the meals consisted of green peppers and onions.

“We were embarrassed to take that because that’s all they had,” Turcotte said.

Another lesson of war he learned stuck with him all of these years.

“Mainly, life can be short,” he said. “It made you appreciate life.”

MIKE O’ROURKE is a former reporter, city editor and associate

editor, who worked at the Brainerd Dispatch for nearly 37 years.

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HONORING OUR

VETERANS


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We join all of America in celebrating the

endearing principles on which our nation was founded. We proudly salute the men and women of our Armed Forces,

along with their families, who defend those principles with

courage and honor.

endearing principles on which endearing principles on which


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Thank you to the men and women of the US Armed Forces (past and present) for serving our country.

Store and Sight-In Range opens at 9am Tuesday - Saturday. Closed Sunday & Monday.

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Thank You Veterans, We Salute You!

Chem Dryof The Lakes

218-828-4320 • [email protected] www.chemdryofthelakes.com

Serving Crow Wing, Aitkin &Southern Cass Counties

Superior Carpet, Upholstery, Tile, Stone and Grout Cleaning

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JessiCa ( NorDliNG) beireis

Marines

DaNNiel kitZ eroWAir Force

DoNalD F . krausMarines, 194 3-194 6

laurie DallyArmy, Iraq

Charles eV erhartArmy, WWII

Deceased 6/30/1974

philip W. seliskerArmy, 194 3-194 6, WWII

Deceased 5 /11/2014

raNDy GilsoNArmy

riCharD W. WaytNavy, WWII

Charles b. CroNiNArmy, WWII

Deceased 8/26/1980

Joseph F . CroNiNArmy, Korea

elDoN robertsArmy, Korean WarDeceased 11/1971

reV . paul F ruthArmy, 1961-1966,

Vietnam

DeralD WatsoNNavy/Air Force

seaN DaV iD Deist M ari nes, 2000- 2004

aNtoN MoGeNseN Navy

19 4 3 - 19 6 7

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tiMothy MiloNational Guard

euGeNe MuNsoNNavy, 194 2-194 5 , WWII

Deceased 1976

JeF F kNappMarines, 2008-2012

Col bill MCCollouGhCommanding Officer 1st

Marine R eg iment1991-p resent

MiltoN MuNsoNNavy, 194 2-194 5Deceased 6/1977

JohN WeiDellArmy, R eserve

1987-2009

GuNNie F reDiNNavy, WWII

bryaN bassettNavy

osCar MarsChArmy, WWI

Deceased 1985

rayMoND C. eriCksoNArmy, WWII

Deceased 8/28/1992

Dondelinger Auto Supports Our

Past & Current Military With Special O� ers From

Chevrolet & Hyundai.

THANK YOU VETERANS AND FAMILIES

www.dondelingerauto.com | 218-829-4787 • 800-642-1566


By Travis GrimlerEcho Journal Staff Writer

here are individuals and groups

throughout the lakes area who have

a passion for the needs of veterans.

They demonstrate that passion through dona-

tions of time, money and materials. Following

are just some of those groups.

TVETERANS ROUNDUP

• Veterans hunting trips:

Band of Brothers Outdoors re-cently paired with hunting guide Jay Lindmeyer of Pine River in a bear hunt. Band of Brothers Outdoors has a mission of helping veterans to get into the wilderness for hunts, �shing trips and other outdoors ac-tivities.Contact: bando�[email protected] or visit Band of Brothers Outdoors on Facebook.

• Minnesota Elk Breeders Asso-ciation Charitable Elk Hunt: �e Minnesota Elk Breeders Associa-tion Charitable Elk Hunt works with veterans organizations and Midwest Outdoors Unlimited to choose dis-abled veterans to hunt massive elk. Hunts take place in the fall with vet-

erans selected from among nominees, who o�en are recommended by Le-gion or VFW clubs.Contact: Minnesota Elk Breeders Association, 320-543-2686, mneba.org/; or Midwest Outdoors Unlimit-ed, midwestoutdoorsunlimited.com, 320-260-6023.

• Veterans Fishing Trip:

�is new event started in July with the �rst veterans �shing trip. A col-laboration between Tuck-a-Way Re-sort of Backus and Wounded War-riors Minnesota, the group brought veterans to the resort to enjoy a lei-surely pontoon �shing trip followed by a picnic organized by the Backus American Legion Auxiliary.

�e second event is being planned for the end of May 2016.

Contact: Wounded Warriors Min-nesota, Steve Eisenreich, 320-267-0376; Tuck-a-Way Resort, 218-587-4725.

• Wounded Veteran Kayak Trip (spring and fall):

Wind, Water & Wheels in Crosslake along with Wounded Warriors of Min-nesota have banded together to bring veterans to the peaceful northwoods of Minnesota twice a year to kayak on the Pine River. �e �rst group trip took place in June, with a fall trip following in October.Contact: Wounded Warriors of Minnesota, Steve Eisenreich, 320-267-0376; Wind, Water & Wheels, 218-692-1200 or http://www.windwa-terandwheels.com/

Group Trips


Wreaths

• Christmas for Vets: For the second year, a group of volun-

teers will gather to adorn the graves of veterans at �ve Pequot Lakes area cemeter-ies with wreaths during the Christmas sea-son.

Wreaths cost $15 each and are sponsored by donations. Names of veterans buried in the Pequot Lakes area are being sought, as well as donations to cover the cost of the wreaths.

Contact: Cathy Malecha, 218-568-4488.

Motorcycle Rides

• Motorcycle ride for homeless and wounded warriors:

�is group brings veteran motor-cycle enthusiasts together to enjoy scenic motorcycle rides. �e 12th an-nual trip is scheduled to start at the Brainerd VFW on Aug. 29, 2016.Contact: Wounded Warriors Min-nesota, Steve Eisenreich, 320-267-0376.

• Leech Lake Area Ride for Vets: �e Leech Lake Area Ride for Vets is a motorcycle ride bringing people to-gether to support veterans. �e annu-al event takes place in August and fol-lows a circuitous route from Walker to near Pine River and back to Walker by a di�erent route.

Registration costs for the event go to support Minnesota veterans causes.Contact: http://walkerlegionriders.org/events.html or [email protected]

Anyone involved in other charita-ble veterans services or events in the area is asked to contact Travis Grimler :[email protected].

• Wreaths For The Fallen: WreathsFor�eFallen.org honors veterans and their families by providing

wreaths for the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery at Camp Ripley each December. Visit wreathsforthefallen.org for more information.

TRAVIS GRIMLER is a staff writer for the Pineandlakes Echo Journal. Reach him at [email protected]. Follow

him at facebook.com/PEJTravis and on Twitter @PEJ_Travis.

001322554r1Crosby, MN | 218-546-2100 l www.graphicpkg.com

RememberingRememberingRememberingOur Military


GeorGe W. CauleyA rmy Nati onal G u ard

K I A 10/ 10/ 2009

harley D. kaiser A rmy

3 5 years of servi c e

GeralD hoeF s A rmy, W W I I

Dec eased 11/ 12/ 2011

roN toW Navy

19 4 8 - 19 6 8

DuaNe hoeF s A rmy

19 7 0- 19 7 2

JohN J. herroN Nati onal G u ard

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In 1907, th e B P O E lk s Grand L odg e desig nated b y resolution J une 14 as Flag Day, Mandating O b servation w as adop ted b y every lodg e in 1911.C ommunity I nterests: E very oth er month a visit to S t. C loud Veteran’ s H osp ital to p lay B INGO Free dinners every T uesday nig h t f or C entral L ak es C olleg e enrolled Veterans and th eir f amilies

S ep temb er th ru May P articip ate in th e Disab led Veterans T urk ey H unt and th e Disab led Veterans Deer H unt at C amp R ip ley We sup p ort th e B rainerd C ommunity B ased O utp atient C linic ( C B O C ) Donate to Wreath s f or th e Fallen O f f er a f ree w eek of camp to 9-13 year old ch ildren of dep loyed soldiers

at th e MN E lk s Y outh C amp during T roop s Week

“So Long As There Are Veterans, The Benovolent And Protective Order Of Elks Will Never Forget Them”

Thank You Veterans For Your Service To Our Country So We May Enjoy Our Freedom!I nterested in becoming a member, v isit w w w . brainerdelk s. org

Brainerd Elks #615 2 1 5 S. 9 th Street,

Brainerd 8 2 9 -2 6 4 3 after 3pm

w w w . brainerdelk s. org

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1P articip ate in th e Disab led Veterans T urk ey H unt and th e Disab led Veterans Deer H unt at C amp R ip ley

bryaN raGuseNational Guard

Curtiss kraNtZ , Army Airb orne

Korean War, 195 2-195 4

riCharD reZ aNkaArmy, WWI

Deceased 8/2/1990

riCharD b. reZ aNkaAir Force, WWII

Deceased 3/23/1992


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OPEN AT NOON DAILY

JenkinsVFW NORTHERN

POST 3839Kitchen Open Tuesday - Sunday 5 - 8pm

Honoring Our Nations Heroes!Thank you to our Veteran’s

& their families!

DaN reiNert 19 4 2- 19 4 4

DoNalD peDersoN A rmy, K orea

Gilbert bittNer M ari nes, K orean W ar Dec eased 12/ 28 / 2014

JaCk NorDliNGM ari nes

W W I I and K orea

Gary l hiles, usMC, S taf f S erg eant, M ari nes

19 6 9 - 19 7 0, Vi etnam

laWreNCe ostroWski A rmy, K orea 19 4 7 - 19 52

Dale heMkiNA rmy

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FNBNORTH.COM

PEQUOT LAKES CROSSLAKE

BAXTER

To All our Veteran's - Thank you for your

Service and Commitment to our Freedom!


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Thank You For Your Service! BlackRidgeBANK is proud to be a part of the Homes

for Heroes Program. We o� er a special mortgagecredit for our Veterans.

Call Sandy or Darlene for more details.

Sandy [email protected] 218-963-4053

Darlene [email protected] 218-454-8520

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JeF F a. MCCarthyArmy

Col. JeroMe MarsChkeArmy, National Guard

WilliaM e. V aN esseNNavy, WWII

Deceased 12/14 /1994

bart skalskyArmy, Military P olice

JohN F . haNsCoM Jr.Navy, 1965 -1968

robert l. stephaN1960-1980

DaNNy priCe Marines, 1973-1977

bruCe berGstroMArmy, 1979-2007

JasoN priCeMarines, 1997-2003

kareN berGstroMAir Force, 2011-current

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TO THE AMERICAN MILITARY AND THEIR FAMILIES

WHO SACRIFICE SO WE CAN ALL LIVE FREE…

THANK YOU.

Veteran's Day Ad.2014.10.03.indd 1 10/6/14 8:11 AM00

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THANK YOU.

Veteran's Day Ad.2014.10.03.indd 1 10/6/14 8:11 AM

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THANK YOU.


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THANK YOU.


Documents

Veterans Day Salute 2015