EVENTS TO HONOR LOCAL AREA MILITARY VETERANS WERE HELD MONDAY IN THE 11TH HOUR OF THE 11TH DAY OF THE 11TH MONTH.
A CEREMONY HONORING ALL WHO HAVE SERVED WAS HELD AT THE WOODBURY COUNTY COURTHOUSE WITH 185TH AIR NATIONAL GUARD CHAPLAIN ANDREW NELSON AS MASTER OF CEREMONIES:
VETSDAY1 OC……CONTINUED FREEDOM. :18
WOODBURY COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF ZANE CHWIRKA WAS THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER.
STARTING IN 2001, HE SERVED 21 YEARS IN THE MILITARY, INCLUDING SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS IN THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD, AND THEN IN 2008, SWITCHED TO THE 185TH AIR REFUELING WING, RETIRING AS A MASTER SGT. IN 2022.
HE TOLD A STORY ABOUT MEETING A COUPLE OF FELLOW VETERANS AT A MINNESOTA VIKINGS FOOTBALL GAME IN 2019 WHERE THE MILITARY WAS BEING HONORED:
VETSDAY2 OC………SOME MORE WORDS. :24
THE WHEELCHAIR BOUND VETERAN THEN EXPLAINED THINGS TO ZANE:
VETSDAY3 OC………..GET TO KNOW HIM. :30
THE DISABLED VET THEN SHARED ANOTHER STORY WITH CHWIRKA:
VETSDAY4 OC…….AND A BLESSING. :26
CHWIRKA SAYS HE HOPES EVERY VETERAN HAS A FRIEND OR SOMEBODY LIKE THAT TO TALK WITH OR HELP THEM THROUGH THINGS.
HE IS ALSO THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE COUNTY’S VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION.
