Salute - Veterans Day 2018

S LUTE November | 2018

VETERANS DAY 2018

• ADAPTIVE HOUSING FOR VETERANS • POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

ANNIE ADAMS

CROSBY NATIVE SERVES WITH “DRAGON WHALES” Also in this edition

Veteran Stats

Marvin Keogh Local Service Heroes

A publication of the Brainerd Dispatch and Echo Journal

SERVING THOSE WHO SERVED OUR COUNTRY

“To finally have a place to call home” We at LAHFH are honored to serve 2 Veterans and their families who have chosen to partner with us to build their homes this year: Josh was a Systems Analyst in the Air Force. When he was honorably discharged, he was 40% disabled which created some work limitations which resulted in a gap in their finances that they just haven’t been able to bridge. They applied for a Habitat home last year and were not approved.

Their discipline and commitment to clean up their credit resulted in their Josh and Breanna family

acceptance this year for a LAHFH home. This is their DREAM come true: to have a place to call HOME. They are looking forward to their new home and spending time in the kitchen as they love to cook as a family.

The children are excited to have a yard they can play in and spend time with their dog, Tucker!

Martin

“A tragedy transformed into a full circle blessing!”

Dennis joined the military shortly after high school. Dennis had many dreams, but life handed him some challenges that resulted in some hardship in his life. Through support from his church and community, Dennis started down a path to improve his life. Dennis is now the manager at Salem WEST. He stays very active in his community by serving as a color

guard and a volunteer with the fire department.

The fact that his new home is located on the very grounds where the original Salem WEST burned down serves as a reminder that when communities work together, a tragedy such as this can be transformed into a blessing.

d family

Dennis Peterson an

LAHFH WOULD LIKE TO SEND OUT A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO HAVE SERVED THIS COUNTRY. WE APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE AND SACRIFICE TO PROTECT OUR COUNTRY AND OUR COMMUNITIES. YOU WILL ALWAYS BE OUR HEROES! 001769200r1

Lakes Area

Promoting strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter in Cass, Crow Wing & Hubbard Counties and the City of Staples

218-828-8517 www.lakesareahabitat.org

CONTENTS ‘18 On the cover:

Photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Gary Ward.

ANNIE ADAMS

Staff

28

By Ricky Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach Crosby native Annie Adams, serves with Versatile U.S. Navy Helicopter Squadron, “Dragon Whales.” Adams says becoming a leader has given her motivation to give back.

6 14 36

ADAPTIVE HOUSING

By Travis Grimler, Echo Journal Vietnam veteran John Meyers, of Pequot Lakes, improves mobility in his home through a program by the Veterans Administration.

MARVIN KEOGH

PUBLISHER Pete Mohs ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Susie Alters ART DIRECTOR Lisa Henry COPY EDITOR DeLynn Howard MARKETING COORDINATOR Leo Miller ADVERTISING Brainerd Dispatch and Echo Publishing Media Consultants ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Andy Goble, Angela Hoefs and Sue Stark CUSTOMER SERVICE Kori Flowers

By Gabriel Lagarde, Brainerd Dispatch Nisswa resident and veteran of the Korean War era — speaks to the Dispatch on everything from the Iron Curtain and high school football to farming in southern Minnesota.

“SOLDIER ON”

By Frank Lee, Brainerd Dispatch Scott Hall, 39-year-old husband and father from Baxter, has battled post-traumatic stress disorder ever since his tour of duty in Afghanistan was over.

S LUTE CONTACT US: Advertising@BrainerdDispatch.com (218) 855-5895 ATTN: Salute Brainerd Dispatch, P.O. Box 974, Brainerd, MN 56401

Also in this issue

Veterans Day................................. 4 Local Stats at a Glance ........ 4 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 proud to tell you this publication has grown immensely from year to year because of the amazing support from our community as well as businesses in the Brainerd lakes area.

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

A special thank you to our businesses who make this project possible and with their support allow for FREE photo submissions to the community.

Warmest Thanks!

From all of us at Brainerd Dispatch and Echo Journal

Veterans Day Salute is an annual publication of the Brainerd Dispatch and Echo Journal.

Copyright© 2013 VOLUME 6, FALL 2018

Branches of U.S. Military

VETERANS DAY Veterans Day vs. Memorial Day

Veterans Day- Tribute to all veterans, living or deceased.

Memorial Day- Tribute to those who lost their lives in combat.

Army

Significance of November 11: The armistice agreement between Germany and Allied troops was signed in 1918 on the 11th day of the 11th month in the 11th hour. The agreement ended World War I after four years of continuous warfare.

SOURCE: https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-veterans

LOCAL STATS AT A GLANCE

Navy

Crow Wing County (CWC)

67

%

6%

Air Force

CWC vets participate in the labor force

Income below poverty level (of CWC 5,660 total surveyed)

94%

95% Male

Total Gulf War Vietnam Era

(of CWC 5,660 total surveyed)

World War II

376

Female 305 Male 5,430 Estimates by the United States Census Bureau

1,811

5%

21.7 million United States veterans

4

CWC vets have a disability

According to the Veteran Data Pocket Card, the projected U.S. veteran population is 21,681,000; 2,035,000 females and 19,646,000 males.

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

2,319 750

Female

Marine Corps

986

Korean conflict

Income at or above poverty level

Coast Guard

5,735

Richard Cameron Sr. Army Air Corps WWII Deceased 3/12/2003

LaVern “Skip” Lowe Army 1965-1986; Vietnam War

Gerald Hoefs Army WWII Deceased 11/12/2011

Daniel Lowe Army Afghanistan 1970-2005

Duane Hoefs Army 1970-1972

Bryan L. Martinsen Army Reserves 2008-2015

Richard Rezanka Army 1917-1918; WWI Deceased 8/2/1990

Richard B. Rezanka Air Force 1943-1945; WWII Deceased 3/23/1992

Arland Speer Army

Cailee R. Jensen Air Force 2017-Present

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE & SACRIFICE

For all that you are and all that you’ve given to our country, we salute you, veterans.

Thank you for protecting our freedom at home and overseas. Your service and your sacrifice will always be remembered.

With gratitude, we honor America’s veterans and military personnel.

001784623r1

Commercial and Residential Construction Architects and General Contractors

www.hytecconstruction.com (218) 829-8529 • BRAINERD, MN S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

5

ADAPTIVE HOUSING

A

By TRAVIS GRIMLER

midst the veterans who have served the United States in active duty are many with serious mo-

bility issues. The Veterans Administration has a program to help those people in their everyday lives.

The program is designed to pay for projects that focus on increasing mobility inside a veteran’s home. Usually that includes accessibility ramps, lifts, widened doorways for wheelchair access, hard flooring, bathroom fixtures and wheelchair-accessible counter tops.

The program requires that every project meet specific building codes, improve mobility and stay under a budget (currently of $85,645). There are several projects featured in most grants.

“I like to call it the ‘big three,’ which is we will give you two ways in and out of your house, which can be a ramp or lift,” said VA Assistant Valuation Officer Mike Ostwald in St. Paul. “Those are the vast majority of the two ways we accomplish that task.

6

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

The other area is your bathroom. We make a larger shower, what we like to call ‘barrier free.’ If you are in a wheelchair you can roll into your shower easily. We make adaptations around the toilet so if you have to transfer from the wheelchair to the toilet you have space to turn around in the bathroom.”

Vietnam veteran John Meyers, of Pequot Lakes, called his finished bathroom a work of art. The grab bars meet his needs, the sink has space under it for his wheelchair, and water is kept in the shower with an almost imperceptible slope toward the drain instead of a tripping hazard.

Qualifying for the grant has some requirements too. A veteran’s mobility issues must be 100 percent service connected and a veteran typically

The lift to the left replaced a nearly 40-degree ramp onto veteran John Meyers’ deck and into his home.

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

7

Meyers enjoys cooking and making jerky, so wheelchair-accessible counter tops helped him continue to enjoy one of his hobbies.

must have specific mobility issues.

Officially, the veteran generally needs to be confined to a wheelchair most of the time.

“To be specifically eligible for veterans adaptive housing, you, in essence, either lost your legs or lost the use of your legs and require typically a wheelchair for a vast majority of your mobility,” Ostwald said.

Meyers’ mobility issues stem from his exposure to Agent Orange in Da Nang as a Marine. Meyers has had 23 surgeries since 2000, including amputations due to osteomyelitis and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in his bones. As a result, he is missing most of his right foot, and his right leg below the knee.

While he can, and does, sometimes walk with his prosthetics, for the past four years or so he’s preferred the stability of his wheelchair.

On top of that, he has nerve damage, 8

was once paralyzed and more.

“I’m missing one eye. Basically I’m the bionic turkey, no question about it,” Meyers jokes.

Ostwald said during the last fiscal year, the VA issued 32 grants in Minnesota amounting to approximately $1.6 million. The grant was life-changing for Meyers.

“It makes life a lot easier for me,” Meyers said. “It was expensive for the VA to do all of this, but it really made a difference.”

He heard about the program while seeking information on a mortgage program. Meyers said several months after applying he received a call from John Eidel, senior appraiser for Specially Adapted Housing, which he had never heard of before then. “(Eidel) drove up from St. Paul and we sat at this table and talked for two hours about this program,”

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

“I’m missing one eye.

Basically I’m the bionic turkey, no question about it,” Meyers jokes.

Meyers said. “I still wasn’t sure it was real. I had never heard of it.”

Since that time, Meyers said the flooring is his favorite part of the project.

“It was medium grade carpet or something,” Meyers said. “Pushing a wheelchair in carpet is very, very hard. When I was paralyzed I had a scooter that I ran around. Then I got fancy and I got a power wheelchair. The first time I took it into the bathroom I did my thing, spun

“You could pull a house down with those things,” said Meyers. (about trying to turn around in a powered wheelchair.)

around, went out and took out the door, the frame and half the wall.

You could pull a house down with those things.”

In addition, he no longer has to haul himself up a nearly 40-degree incline to enter his home thanks to a lift on his deck. He can now go from room to room without rubbing his

wheelchair and elbows on doorways and uses his bathroom and kitchen counter tops, which are wheelchair accessible.

Meyers’ bedroom even has an emergency exit complete with ramp,

With wheelchair-accessible bathroom counter tops, custom grab bars and a shower that has no barriers for wheelchairs, Meyers called his bathroom a work of art when it was complete.

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

Community Interests: Every other month a visit to St. Cloud Veteran’s Hospital to play BINGO

Disabled Veterans Turkey Hunt and the Disabled Veterans Deer Hunt at Camp Ripley Donate to Wreaths for the Fallen

001784620r1

Educational Resources for Community Based Outpatient Clinic Veterans

Offer a free week of camp to 9-13 year old children of deployed soldiers at the MN Elks Youth Camp during Troops Week Free dinners every Tuesday night for Central Lakes College enrolled Veterans, Active Military, Reserves, Veterans and their families September thru March

Become a Member! Learn How, Visit www.brainerdelks.org www.brainerdelks.org

Brainerd Elks #615 215 S. 9th Street, Brainerd 829-2643 after 3pm S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

9

PINE RIVER AMERICAN LEGION

218-587-9151 • Hwy. 371, Pine River Open at Noon Monday-Sunday

HAPPY HOUR

HONORING

KITCHEN OPEN

VETERANS

Monday-Friday • 3-6pm Monday-Saturday

OUR

FREE HALL RENTAL TO NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

“They don’t care how you use the money, basically, as long as it is some kind of improvement ,” Meyers said.

001642411r1

200

ople ay Pe d y r e r Ev ear fo Footw

M CUSTO

S$ C I T O H ORT

A special

thanks

to all of our Veterans.

218-822-3026 | 7837 Excelsior Road | Baxter

001785170r1

Front L-R: Nick Welle, Chad Shogren, Bill Agens, Tony Lewis, Darren Colgrove, Andrew Rowland, Dave Himle & Tony Collins.

Back L-R: Justin Vredenburg, Rick VanGeest, Mary Roubal, Greg Hill, Ken Romig, Greg Maciej, Justin Jansen, Damian Broderson, Kim Hardy, Steve Ringstrom & BJ Schaumburg.

Not pictured: Gaylin Smith, & George Dziedzic.

10

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

without which he said a house fire may have been a death sentence for him. The grant is limited, basically, to changes that will make a real, measurable improvement in mobility.

“They don’t care how you use the money, basically, as long as it is some kind of improvement for adaptive living,” Meyers said.

“We’ll replace flooring,” Ostwald said “As you can imagine, carpeting takes a beating from a wheelchair perspective. A lot of times we replace it with tile or hardwood floor that is a much more friendly flooring. We widen doorways.”

Overall, the program is designed to improve mobility for veterans and help them to live independently even in the face of disabilities.

“All the improvements to the house add up to a good lifestyle, as good as it’s going to be,” Meyers said. “When you are disabled that’s what you have to say.”

Meyers spoke especially positively of Eidel, who takes a personal interest in many of the qualified Specially Adapted Housing programs.

“He got involved with the contractor,” Meyers said. “He knows building. He’s reasonable but he fights to make sure the job is to VA

standards. We need more guys like that in government.”

The Specially Adapted Housing program has been available through the VA since 1948, but in 2001 the program was expanded to allow veterans to react to changing needs.

“Then, shortly after Sept. 11, the powers that be thought in their wisdom that it would be best if we

could use the grant more than once and now you can use it up to three times,” Ostwald said.

Prior to that time if veterans wanted some small addition to a home, say a handicap ramp and nothing else, they could not apply for the grant again if their mobility worsened, even if they had only used a portion of the budget allot-

“He’s reasonable but he fights to make sure the job is to VA standards. We need more guys like that in government.”

(Meyers said of John Eidel, Senior Appraiser for Specially Adapted Housing).

ted to each veteran.

There are some options for veterans who do not necessarily qualify for the Specially Adapted Housing program. Veterans are directed to contact their county veteran service officer.

“The two programs within the VA that we work with or kind of in conjunction with is what we call HISA, the Home Improvement Structural Alterations,” Ostwald said. “Then there is a grant available for veterans, period. You get a certain amount if you are service connected and a certain amount if you aren’t. That’s through the VA hospital. Then there is Independent Living. That’s administered through Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment.”

With Respect, Honor and Gratitude We encourage veterans to join our team

THANK YOU 001786518r1

Freedom is not free.

23103 County Rd 3, Merrifield, MN 218-765-3111 • www.clowstamping.com S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

11

Rev. Paul Fruth Army 1960-1966; Vietnam War

Drew Olson Air Force

Clarence E. Smith Marines Deceased 9/7/2008

Mark Persons Army 1968-1969; Vietnam War

Scott Hall Army

Robert Kind Army 1959-1965

Arthur Nystrom Air Force 1944-1945; WWII

Wayne Christensen Army 1967-1968; Vietnam War

Bruce G. Lapka Navy Vietnam War

Jeff Volkl Marines 1989-1993

Lloyd Handeland Army WWII

PUBLIC WELCOME CROSSLAKE HWY 3 3PM - TUES., WED., FRI. 1PM - THURS., NOON SAT. HAPPY HOUR 3-6PM TUES.-FRI. Jr.’s BREAKFAST 9AM-NOON CLOSED Jr.’s MEXICAN NIGHT 4:30PM-CLOSE MEAT RAFFLE 5PM T-SHIRT TUESDAY Wed: BURGER 4:30-7PM Legion Thurs: PIZZA NIGHT 4:30-7PM Legion LEGION OPEN AT 1PM-CLOSE Fri: MEAT RAFFLE at 6:30PM Jr.’s Serving 5-9PM Sat: BINGO 1:30PM $1,000 POT Bingo Burgers 1PM-5PM Dinner 5PM to close

12

In honor of our Veterans, on Tuesday, Nov. 13th your second drink will be free to thank you for your service.

Thank you for letting us serve you so that we can continue to serve our veterans, military and community!

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

001788364r1

Sun: Mon: Tues:

Eugene Munson Navy WWII

Jack Van Horn Navy 1965-1969 Deceased

Art Van Horn Navy 1965-1969 Deceased 8/10/1970

Earl Van Horn Army 1971-1973

Dale Van Horn Sr. Navy 1965-1969

Dale Van Horn Jr. Navy and Army

James Van Horn Navy Deceased

Eugene Torvinen Navy Deceased 7/20/1993

Edward Torvinen Navy Deceased 10/8/1992

Jim Torvinen Navy

Kenneth Nystrom Air Force 1954-1974

Christopher Kraus Navy & Army 1992-Present

Richard L. Kraus Army 1969-1990

Raymond J. Geislinger Clarence L. Kraus Army Army WWII WWII Deceased 5/30/2012 Deceased 5/5/1996

Gene Worms Navy 1964-1969

Saturday, November 10, 2018 9:30am-4:00pm

218-829-4112

Sponsored by Brainerd Community Education

Five Locations To Serve You

Pine River • Breezy Point • Nowthen • Pillager • Emily

www.pineriverstatebank.com

6967 Lake Forest Road • Baxter, MN 56425

218-822-5634 • arrowwoodbrainerd.com

THANK YOU!

Brainerd Dispatch

001638576r1

The staff at Martin’s Sport Shop in Nisswa would like to thank all of our Veterans and their families for their service. It is much appreciated.

001784737r1

001788536r1

For more information 218-454-6954 Spring Show May 11, 2019

001638963r1

702 South 5th Street (Use North or South Doors)

001771964r1

Brainerd Senior High School

Residential & Commercial New Construction & Remodels

• 100+ Exhibitors • Free Admission • Refreshments

MARTINSSPORTSHOP.COM • 218-963-2341

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

13

Sitting at Culver’s in Baxter, Marvin Keogh — a Nisswa resident and veteran of the Korean War era — speaks to the Dispatch on everything from the Iron Curtain and high school football to farming in southern Minnesota. Photo by Steve Kohls.

Marvin Keogh

P

By Gabriel Lagarde

ublic service is a great monolith — multifaceted and imposing, it manifests itself in lives of people from all walks of life, all colors and creeds, all stars and stripes. Take Marvin Keogh for example. Lakes area resi-

dents have, doubtlessly, crossed paths with im on many occasions — the stocky octogenarian with a shock of white hair and an affinity for sports regalia.

14

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

Honoring All the Men and Women Who Have Selflessly Served Our Country

Happy Veterans Day!

16603 State Hwy 371 North, Brainerd/Baxter (Just North of the Pine Beach Rd)

schroedersappliance.com • 218-829-3624

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.

001788017r1

“A buddy of mine told me, ‘We should try out for the soccer team,’” Keogh said.

Two highlights of being stationed in Deutschland? One came naturally to the red-blooded American — a passionate, well-reciprocated love affair with beer, which apparently was much safer to drink than water in post-war Germany, the brass advised. The second was an acquired interest — soccer, which young Keogh hadn’t played stateside.

001673855r1

Born in Waseca in 1936, Keogh, 82, was the son of a mother who worked as a gas station bookkeeper and a father who worked for the state highway department. He moved often on account of his father’s profession -- first on his grandparents’ homestead in Waseca, then Waterville and Le Center and back to Waterville. He’s a Nisswa resident now that most of his wandering days are behind him.

Keogh enlisted in the Army on Jan. 5, 1955 — a decision, Keogh noted, motivated in part by indications his draft number was coming up and by opportunities to take advantage of the G.I. Bill to fund four years of college. He quickly found himself in Dog Company, the 10th division, 86th regiment of the U.S. Army — first grinding it out in a tank platoon, then working as a clerk when he was stationed in Schweinberg, Germany, during the Korean War.

NMLS#410361

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2017

15

“A buddy of mine told me, ‘We should try out for the soccer team,’” Keogh said. “I said ‘Uh, that sounds like a lot of running.’ Regimental soccer at 1 o’clock every afternoon.”

It wasn’t all fun and games. Keogh lived and worked among the war-ravaged communities of Germany, which saw roughly 85 percent of its industry and urban centers obliterated by Allied bombing during World War II. By taking part in U.S. efforts in the region, Keogh witnessed the implementation of the Marshall Plan -- $12 billion (roughly $100 billion in today’s dollars) of aid to Europe that enabled countries including Germany, France and Great Britain to find their footing again after years of devastation.

Much of these nations’ quick turnarounds into the prospering nations

16

A lifelong sports aficionado — whether it’s baseball, soccer, basketball, football or others — Keogh bopped around Minnesota and Wisconsin in a number of roles... of today can be attributed to American gifts of treasure, talent and time during those years, Keogh said.

And then, too, there was the looming threat of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc — just a stone’s throw over the Berlin Wall into East Germany, said Keogh, who saw the wall for himself during the early years of the Cold War, when tensions between the world’s premier superpowers were starting to reach

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

an icy head.

A lifelong sports aficionado — whether it’s baseball, soccer, basketball, football or others — Keogh bopped around Minnesota and Wisconsin in a number of roles, but his home remained primarily in Mankato, where he garnered degrees at Mankato State University and went on to be a head football coach at various high schools in the area.

BRAINERD VFW POST 1647 309 S. 6TH STREET • 829-6393 OPEN EVERY DAY AT NOON!

001787941r1

Did his military experience, with its emphasis on toughness, discipline and structure, influence how he coached? Pose the question to Keogh and he’d give a shrug — high school kids and soldiers are needed for and come from very different walks of life, he said, and to apply the same standards to both doesn’t work.

“You have to be on the kids all the time about the training rules, things like that. When you get good kids and good parents, you don’t have problems,” Keogh said. “When we had a very good team, I had a couple kids I had to keep track of a little bit, and once in a while chew their fanny. Gosh they were good kids, good kids.”

Then, that also speaks to a man whose way of coaching valued the inner growth of individuals over the accolades and performances of athletes.

“I was more pleased with the kids that were average and they grew in the program and they were steady players. They weren’t All-American or All-State, but they were solid players,” Keogh said. “I was more pleased with, after they graduated, what they did. Some became lawyers, others dentists.”

Keogh’s own military path came to revisit him, years later — decades after he left the service and even decades after he put away the coach’s playbook and retired at 62. He was invited to take part on an Honors Flight in 2015, pressed by his niece to join in a trip to Washington, D.C. The trip provides travel, a tour, accommodations and other services to veterans so they can view the various sights of the U.S. capital dedicated to men and women of uniform. Honors flights are funded and organized by nonprofits across the country and

MONDAYS

Food at 5:30 pm Bingo at 6 pm

TUESDAYS

$1 Tacos at 5 pm Cribbage at 6 pm

WEDNESDAYS Wings 3/$1 Fries $1 Salads $1 4 pm–7 pm “500” Cards at 6:30 pm

THURSDAYS

DOLLAR NIGHT Burgers, Fries, Domestic Tap Beer $1.00/ea at 5:00 pm

HAPPY HOUR! Monday-Friday 12:00 pm-5:00 pm

218-828-2815 www.brainerdrental.com

Pull Tabs, Meat Raffles & wireless Internet always available. Charitable Gambling License # 00475.

FREE Hall & Kitchen Rental to Non-Profit organizations.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!

Relax... We’ve Got You Covered!

001789290r1

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

17

DEERWOOD AMERICAN LEGION POST 557 23659 FOREST RD•218-534-3215•OPEN M-F 3:30

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE HAPPY Wi-Fi, Pull Tabs, Hall & Kitchen Rentals

001788784r1

HOUR!

SECOND FRIDAY OF THE MONTH

FOURTH FRIDAY OF THE MONTH

PIZZA NIGHT PAN-FRIED WALLEYE STEAK & SHRIMP MADE TO ORDER DINNER* DINNER* 4-7 PM AVAILABLE 4:30-7 PM AVAILABLE 4:30-7 PM *DINNERS INCLUDE FULL SALAD BAR, POTATO, VEGGIE, ROLL AND DESSERT $5 CARAFES OF WINE 001771963r1

Monday-Friday 4-6 PM

FIRST THURSDAY OF THE MONTH

often function as chapters that encompass each state.

One of three brothers to have served, Keogh’s siblings exemplified the mixed feelings that many have in regard to their service — his older brother was excited and honored to go on the Honors Flight, and his younger brother declined because such an experience might reopen old wounds from his experiences in Vietnam.

Veterans Day

Washington Monument and National Mall, Washington DC. Stock photo

Honoring All Who Served

2000 13th Street S.E., Brainerd, MN 56401 | 218-829-6680 | crowwingcountyfair.com

Good Neighbor Home Health Care salutes military veterans and their families for their dedication and the sacrifices they made to protect our country.

It’s an honor to care for you.

We’ll be there.

(218) 829-9238 | (888) 221-5785 www.gnhomecare.com

18

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

Having traveled a decent bit, Keogh said he’s seen a number of impressive sights — the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Buckingham Palace, and the Arc of Triomphe, among other wonders of the world — but his experience visiting Washington, D.C., and viewing the markers and monuments of prior American servicemen stands at an even higher echelon.

“This Honor Flight tops all of them,” said Keogh, who spoke

Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Arlington national cemetary.

Stock photo.

Having traveled a decent bit, Keogh said he’s seen a number of impressive sights...

“This Honor Flight tops all of them,” said Keogh

Ken Solom Navy 1960-1966

Milton Munson Navy 1942-1945; WWII Deceased June 1977

Maurice Karst Navy 1956-1976

Kenneth Wischmann Navy 1950-1954; Korean War

Gunnard Freden Navy WWII

Dale Monson Navy 1944-1945; WWII

“Serving our Members since 1940”

804 Laurel Street, Brainerd, MN 56401 | 218-829-9065

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

001635584r1

effusively of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Vietnam War Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial and other landmarks dedicated to the armed forces. “It was a highlight. I never expected that. It was quite an honor.”

19

Ken Micko Army Air Corps 1942-1945

William (Bill) LaTour

William Skeesick Army WWII Deceased 11/29/2002

Richard A. Smith Marines 1969-1971

Richard Paul Klein Navy 1948-1952

Gilbert Bittner Marines Korean War Deceased 12/28/2014

Doug Wannebo Army 1970-1971; Vietnam War

Ben Monson Army 1942-1945

Carl Monson Army 1943-1946, 1948-1952

John E. Munson Army WWII

20

Marines 1968-1969; Vietnam War

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

Richard D. Tappe Air Force Deceased 7/7/2008

Lloyd “Pete” Romin Army 1944-1947 Deceased10/30/2016

Gary H. Peterson Army

Warren Welton Army WWII Deceased 10/21/2011

Robert C. MacKenzie William Eugene Bender Air Force Navy Deceased 6/12/2014 WWII

Harold Lachelt Army 1950-1953

Daniel Barto Air Force 1952-1956

LeRoy Siegel Army Korean War Deceased 1/8/1995

Clifford Barto Merchant Marines/ Army; 1944-1950, 1950-1952 Deceased 2/19/2018

Thank you to all of our Veterans for their Service to our Country and our People.

Celebrating

•LUNCHES Monday-Saturday •MONDAY - Burger Night •TUESDAY - Coney Dogs & Long Island Tea •WEDNESDAY - Progressive Bingo •THURSDAY - Wings Night •FRIDAY - Dinner Special & Meat Raffle •SATURDAY - Basket Food •SUNDAY - Progressive Bingo

Those Who Served

Best Homemade, Hometown Cooking Around!

HAPPY HOUR Tuesday - Saturday 4-6pm

PULL TABS & ELECTRONIC GAMES License #A-01124-001

001638949r1

HALL RENTAL AND CATERING FOR WEDDINGS AND BANQUETS

Crosby, MN | 218-546-2100 | www.graphicpkg.com

BAR & RESTAURANT - OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 25807 Main St. • Nisswa, MN 56468 • 218-963-9946

www.nisswalegion.com

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

21

First row: left to right: 1st Sgt. Carroll M. Guin (head of the family), Stf. Sgt. Russell L. Swearingen (Chief Mech.), Stf. Sgt. Peter Clabo (Platoon Sgt.), Stf. Sgt. Robert E. Weygand (Platoon Sgt.), Captain E. B. Miller (Commanding Officer), 1st Lt. John S. Muir (Executive Officer), 1st Lt. Clinton D. Quinlen (Supply Officer), 2nd Lt. Edward L. Burke (Administrative Officer), 2nd Lt. Arthur J. Root (Mess Officer), Stf. Sgt. Charles A. Dunnell (Communications Sgt.), Sgt. Arthur W. Brown (Line Sgt.), Sgt. Boyce W. Hyatt (Line Sgt.), Sgt. Francis D. Davis (Line Sgt.), Sgt. Walter H. Samuelson (Line Sgt.).

Second row: Sgt. Frederick F. Lowe (Line Sgt.), Sgt. David E. Karlson (Supply Sgt.), Sgt. Byron L. Veillette (Line Sgt.), Sgt. James L. Johnson (Line Sgt.), Sgt. Harlan H. Peterson (Line Sgt.), Corp. Milan E. Anderson (Company Clerk), Corp. Glen

H. Nelson, Corp. Walter B. Straka, Corp. James F. McComas, Corp. Wallace F. Goodrich, Corp. Donald H. Paine, Corp.

Paul A. Saarinen, Corp. Lee D. MacDonald.

Third row: Corp. Howard J. Larson, Corp. Kenneth J. Porwoll, Corp. Herbert F. Strobel, Corp. Maxwell S. Dobson, Pvt. Icl. Walter R. Davis (Cook-Spec. 4th Class), Pvt. 1cl.

Warren T. Lackie (Radio Opr. and Gunner, Spec. 5th Class), Pvt. Arthur B. Thomas, Pvt. Harold A. Snell, Pvt. 1cl. William L Mattson (Tank Mech.-Spec. 4th Class), Pvt. James E. Bogart, Pvt. 1cl. Ross H. Burrows (Gunner and Asst. Tk. Driver, Spec.

6th Class), Pvt. Alpheus W. Brown, Pvt. Billie E. Brown, Pvt. Claude Gilmore.

Fourth row: Pvt. George H. Roth, Pvt.1cl. John F. Falconer (Gunner and Asst. Tk. Driver-Spec. 6th Class), Pvt. Ferdinand

J. Frederickson, Pvt. Sid H. Saign, Pvt. John E. Pederson, Pvt.1cl. Arthur J. Gattie (Gunner and Asst. Tk. Driver-Spec.

6th Class), Pvt. Wince L. Solsbee, Pvt Orvin C. Carpenter, Pvt. Lawrence R. Alberg, Pvt. 1cl. Pearlie L. Clevenger (Tank Engine Mech.-Spec. 3rd Class), Pvt. 1cl. Kenneth R. Gorden (Gunner and Asst. Tk Driver-Spec. 6th Class). Pvt. Robert E. Swanson (Gunner and Asst. Tank Driver-Spec. 6th Class), Pvt. Harvey L. Finch, Pvt. Frank E. South.

Fifth row: Pvt. 1cl. Henry F. Turner (2nd Cook-Spec .5th Class), Pvt. 1cl. James R. Clevenger (Gen. Mech.-Spec.

4th Class), Pvt. John C. Spornitz, Pvt. 1cl. Raymond E. Fox (Gunner and Asst. Tk. Driver-Spec. 6th Class), Pvt. 1cl.

Wallace C. Lee (Radio Opr. And Gunner-Spec. 5th Class), Pvt. August Bender, Pvt. John J. Allen, Pvt. Melvin D. Ahlgrim,

Pvt. 1cl. Richard E. Davis (Gunner and Asst Tk. Driver-Spec.

6th Class), Pvt. Wesley J. Kerrigan, Pvt. Ernest M. Gorden, Pvt. Clifford D. Rardin, Pvt. Icl. Ralph M. Hollingsworth (Tank Mech. spec.4th Class).

Sixth row: Pvt. 1cl. Glenn S. Oliver (Radio Opr. and GunnerSpec. 5th Class), Pvt. Carl M. Kramp, Pvt. Willis A. Bjornstad, Pvt. Henry G. Homberg, 1cl. Clarence L. Goninan (Tank Engine Mech.-Spec. 3rd Class), Pvt. Ernest F. Brusseau, Pvt. Henry G. Peck, Pvt. Roy E. Maghan, Pvt. Floyd J. Munger, Pvt John B. Joosten, Pvt. 1cl. Gerald J. Bell (Radio Opr. and Gunner-Spec. 4th Class), Pvt. Joseph P. Lamkin (Gunner and Asst. Tank Driver-Spec.6th Class).

Not in picture: Pvt. Roy M. Nordstrom 001667218r1

Richard Kelly Army 1950-1951; Korean War

Donald Hyatt Army Deceased

Boyce W. Hyatt Army Deceased 1984

Loyd L. Hyatt Army Deceased 2000

H. Dale Shanks Navy & Marines 1951-1954; Korean War Deceased 9/14/2017

Von V. Hyatt Air Force Deceased 1998

Loyal M. Hyatt Army 1953-1955

001623904r1

We want to Thank Our Veterans

Thank you for you r

Brainerd Lakes Area

HAPPY HOUR - NIGHTLY SPECIALS PULL TABS AVAILABLE

Real Estate

001790403r1

PEQUOT LAKES AMERICAN LEGION

Ben Krueger Post 49, Auxiliary & SAL

4435 Main Street, Pequot Lakes • 218-568-9881 24

service !

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

jeremy miller

edina realty 218-851-5595 jeremymiller@edinarealty.com www.thebrainerdlakesarea.com

Brian Bade Navy 1969-1973

Leonard Bade Navy 1944-1946 Deceased 8/18/2002

Glen Anhorn Army 1972-1975

William A. Miller Coast Guard Deceased 3/20/2006

Arron Richard Stoen Army Reserves Deceased 6/18/18

Ronald Pankratz Navy 1952-1956

Julius St John Knudsen Army 1941-MIA

Laurie Hall 326 W. Laurel St. Brainerd, MN

FOR YOUR SERVICE

(3 blocks South of Walgreens)

218-828-0460 001788969r1

218-692-2777

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

25

Vernon Wehage Army 1973-1977 Deceased

James Sipper Marines 2011-2014; Iraq

Theodore Olson Army 1959-1966

Merle Monson Army 1942-1945

from all of us at

7419 Forthun Rd. Baxter, MN 56425

218-270-5638

www.AdvantageSeamlessGutters.com 26

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

William Leonhardt Air Force 1965-1969

Ole Monson Navy 1944-1945

Robert G. Hurst 1951-1954; Korean War

Robert J. Stock Navy 1954-1981

Jackson Knapp Marines 2016

Jeff Knapp Marines 2008-2012

Kyle Carner Army 2007-2015; Iraq

Earl Johnson Air Force 1954-1958

Tim Johnson Air Force 1982-1986 Deceased 6/16/2012

Eldon Warburton Army/National Guard 1954-1994 Deceased August 1995

Better fresh.

Better value.

always in-stock Get the best pick of our freshest produce.

We thank you for your service Thank you for our Freedom

D005823982

PUMP SAVE ON GROCERIES. Join ! y a d PERKS SAVE ON GAS. To Patriot Ave • 218-568-5001 www.pequotlakessupervalu.com Locally owned and operated

Brainerd • 218-828-1816 417 8th Ave. NE

Baxter • 218-828-4601 14133 Edgewood Dr. N.

Locally owned and operated.

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

27

Crosby Native Annie Adams serves with Versatile U.S. Navy Helicopter Squadron, “Dragon Whales.” Photo By Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Gary Ward.

Annie Adams

A

By RICKY BURKE

2007 Crosby-Ironton High School graduate and Crosby, Minnesota, native is serving with the U.S. Navy Helicop-

ter Sea Combat Squadron 28 in Norfolk, Virginia.

28

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Annie Adams is an aviation electrician’s mate serving with HSC 28, known as the “Dragon Whales.” A versatile squadron that’s capable of completing a number of important missions for the Navy with the MH-60S “Seahawk” helicopter.

A Navy aviation electrician’s mate is responsible for evaluating and fixing electronic components in support of the command mission.

“I really enjoy the satisfaction of working together with my fellow sailors accomplishing the tasks at hand,” Adams said.

Adams credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Crosby.

“No matter how limited the resources are around you, it does not limit what you can achieve or where you want to end up at in life,” Adams said.

Dragon Whales operate the MH60S Seahawk and deploy with the Second, Fifth and Sixth Fleets to provide critical mission support.

“I love the family atmosphere and camaraderie that I have among my fellow sailors, there is a tightknit family atmosphere here,” Adams said.

“Becoming a leader has given me the motivation and mindset to want to give back to others and better myself,” Adams said.

Their capabilities include drone recovery, special operations aerial training, cargo and passenger transport, and fleet support to Navy, Air Force, and Army units along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts.

HSC 28 consists of 14 aircraft, 267 enlisted Sailors, and 51 officers. At sea, they perform vital vertical replenishment (VERTREP); crucial passenger, mail, and internal cargo transport; and continuous search and rescue operations.

“I love the family atmosphere and camaraderie that I have among my

fellow sailors, there is a tight-knit family atmosphere here,” Adams said.

Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community, and career, Adams is most proud of becoming a leader and helping junior sailors thrive in their career.

“Becoming a leader has given me the motivation and mindset to want to give back to others and better myself,” Adams said.

Operational and deployed today with the U.S. Navy as the primary

Dear Veterans, We salute you and honor all who have served our country.

We pause to remember and give thanks.

001635236r1

Thank you.

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

29

Emily Brannock Navy Gulf War

Sid Tousley Navy 1957-1962

30

Gordon Schulke Navy WWII

Charles Brunes Navy WWI Deceased 11/4/1978

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

Denny Polich Navy 1942-1946 Deceased 8/29/2018

Norbert Eugene Rau Navy 1943-1945 Deceased 8/8/2008

“Serving in the Navy means having pride in being a part of an organization that protects our freedom and our loved ones,” Adams added. anti-submarine warfare anti-surface weapon system for open ocean and littoral zones, the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter is the world’s most advanced maritime helicopter. It is the most capable naval helicopter available today designed to operate from frigates, destroyers, cruisers and aircraft carriers.

The MH-60R Sea Hawk is over 60 feet long, and can weigh up to 23,500 lbs. It is replacing the Navy’s older helicopters because of its greater versatility and more advanced weapon systems.

As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Adams and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes, one that will provide a critical component of the Navy the nation needs.

“Serving in the Navy means having pride in being a part of an organization that protects our freedom and our loved ones,” Adams added.

Veterans Day Recognition Program 100th Anniversary of WWI Armistice signing

November 11, 2018 11AM Keynote speaker Baxter Mayor Darrel Olson

CROW WING COUNTY

ALL VETERANS MEMORIAL 326 LAUREL STREET, BRAINERD, MN

Crow Wing County Courthouse and the US Post Office (4th and Laurel Streets) Please Join us for coffee and breakfast after the program at the Eagles Club 124 Front Street, Brainerd, MN 56401

DonorBrick PROGRAM FUNDRAISER

Go online to www.brickmarkersusa.com/donors/avm.html and Facebook: Crow Wing County All Veterans Memorial 4x8 brick $75/brick - 3 lines per brick- 20 letters per line 8x8 brick $150/brick - 6 lines per brick - 20 letters per line In addition to each installed brick, you will receive a commemorative certificate.

001788340r1

For more information: Please contact Nancy Cross 218-829-9079 email:crossnancy99@gmail.com

Norman Loven Army 1945-1946

Jim Stafford Navy 1984-1988

Sean Stafford National Guard 1997-2017

Brandon Stafford National Guard 2009-Present

Loren Edward Smart Marines 1969; Vietnam Deceased 7/15/2012

John Kirchmeier Navy 1948-1968 Deceased 2004

Donald McCarthy Air Force WWII Deceased 3/3/1996

Jack Sticha Army 1966-1969

Darrell Sticha Air Force 1965-1969

Kenneth Kielty Army 1948-1952 Deceased 4/9/2018

William H. Fleisher Army Deceased 8/19/2018

William Weik Army 1969-1970

Robert P. Cook Army Air Corps WWII Deceased 10/3/1987

Steven Kuhn Army Deceased 4/24/1999

Alfred E. Kuhn Army 1954-1955; Korean War Deceased 6/7/2017

Roy L. Schellin Army/ Air Force 1942-1945 Deceased 3/6/2012

Michael Danger Army 1964-1968 Deceased 5/1/2018

32

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

Jeff A. McCarthy Army 1974-1976

Jack Olson Army 1967-1969

Clarence L. Warner

Arthur Bialka Marines 1951-1953

Kevin Goedker Marines

Wilbert Gildart Army 1972-1973; Cold War

THANK YOU

Army 1943-1946 Deceased 1/30/2013

VETERANS AND FAMILIES

Donald Gates Navy 1948-1952 Deceased Sept. 2000

Dondelinger Auto Stands With and Supports Our Past & Current Military With Special Offers From Chevrolet & Hyundai

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

001785715r1

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

33

Oscar Marsch Army WWI

Merle (Bub) R. Burns Jr. Army Deceased 11/11/2012

Gilbert L. Lowe Air Force WWII Deceased 12/25/1983

Michael Lowe Air Force Vietnam War 1970-1974

David L. Anderson Air Force 1967-1971

Sean Deist Marines 2000-2004

Dan Strong Army

Robert Loehlien Marines 1944-1945; WWII

Dennis G. Havel Army 1967-1968; Vietnam War

Howard “Jiggs” Blanck Army 1956-1958 Deceased 12/01/2009

Kevin Kiehlbauch Army 1976-1982

Duane Blanck Marine Corps 1960-1963

Christopher Groenwold Marines 2003-2007

Oliver Ness Army 1942-1946; WWII Deceased 10/21/1955

Howard Doucette Army

Marvin Schoenike Army 1954-1956; Korean War Deceased 7/22/2014

Travis Nelson Army Reserve 2008-Present

34

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

Danny Price Marines 1973-1977

Jason Price Marines & Army Guards 1997-2003; 2003-2005

Duane A. Roberts Marines WWII Deceased 2/18/2015

Mitch Johnson Air Force 1997 - Present

Meryl Alters Army 1950-1953; Korean War

Daniel M. Bubalo Air Force 1942-1946

William Threlkeld IV Army National Guard

Deceased 6/15/1997

Thank you

218.829.2020 001784856r1

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

35

Scott Hall and his wife Tessa Hall hold their 5-year-old daughter Maren. Hall was an Army Reservist with the 367th Engineer Battalion and was deployed to Afghanistan. Submitted photo

“SOLDIER ON” Husband and father survives Afghanistan but at a cost

W

By FRANK LEE

hen Scott Hall left Afghanistan, the Army Reservist thought he left the battlefield behind him. He was wrong. The 39-year-old husband

and father from Baxter has battled post-traumatic stress disorder ever since his tour of duty was over.

36

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

“November of 2003, our unit — the 367th Engineer Battalion at St. Cloud, Mankato, Duluth and Brainerd — all got mobilized, and we were told that we’d be going somewhere after the first of the year,” Hall recalled.

“We invaded in 2001, and when we got there — we improved runways, we built the big prison, built roads, did a lot of that stuff … and a lot of mine clearings, so a part of our unit cleared out landmines to make space for more troops.”

The 367th Engineer Battalion provides support to combat units

“A part of our unit cleared out land-mines to make space for more troops,” said Scott Hall.

Hall helps unload donations that will be sold as part of Lakes Area Habitat for Humanity’s fundraising efforts.

Photo by Frank Lee

through food service, supply, maintenance, personnel and a construction platoon consisting of carpenters, masons, plumbers, electricians, surveyors and draftsmen. Hall was in Afghanistan from May 2004 until May 2005.

“A large part of it was to build up the different bases during that time,” said Hall, manager of the Lakes Area Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Brainerd.

“My job in the military, I was an administration specialist, so myself and six or seven other people were in charge of all 560 people, so we did all their evaluations, all their awards, their mail, and we had to account for every person, every day, and report that to our headquarters.”

AFGHANISTAN

Hall said he was in charge of “morale, welfare and recreation,” which

To our veterans...

Love where we live!”

001785474r1

“ We

THANK YOU FOR THE FREEDOM TO SAY,

Veteran Owned

www.BrainerdAreaRealEstate.com

COLLEEN GOEDKER REALTOR ®

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

37

The 39-year-old husband and father from Baxter, has battled post-traumatic stress disorder ever since his tour of duty in Afghanistan was over.

Photo by Frank Lee

meant keeping the troops’ spirits up in a hostile, unfamiliar and possibly fatal work environment like Afghanistan.

“We weren’t in direct combat situations … but there were quite a few rocket attacks that we had. One of them was really close to hitting us. It hit the compound next to us,” he said.

The reservists based in Brainerd joined other troops in Operation Enduring Freedom in the Middle East.

They were deployed in February 2004. About 129 soldiers from five states left Brainerd in the deployment.

“Even though I was an admin person and mostly in an office, there were a couple of times that I went out on different missions to bring the mail out to people, and one of the helicopters I was riding on ended up engaging something … and that 38

was pretty scary,” Hall said.

The 367th Engineer Battalion was the largest Army Reserve unit to mobilize since Operation Desert Shield in 1990. They were the single largest Army Reserve unit to mobilize in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Noble Eagle and Iraqi Freedom in Minnesota.

“It wasn’t like I was knocking down doors like some people, but, yeah, it was still a hostile environment, and you’re always taking care of yourself and making sure that you don’t let your guard down,” Hall said.

The constant threat of being killed took a toll on Hall and others in the military. Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, can occur after a person goes through a traumatic event like combat, assault or disaster, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

“You don’t realize at the time just how much stress you were under — or you weren’t aware of it — until you get home...”

-Scott Hall

“...Now...a big diesel truck pulls up, it automatically transports me back to when I was in Afghanistan.” -Scott Hall with, I felt really safe and really confident in their abilities,” he said.

According to the VA, between 11 to 20 out of every 100 veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom have PTSD in a given year.

“You don’t realize at the time just how much stress you were under -or you weren’t aware of it -- until you get home, and I didn’t even know really that I had PTSD until probably within this last year, when I was officially diagnosed with PTSD,” Hall said.

MENTAL HEALTH

The mild-mannered yet physically imposing veteran seemed at home

among the furniture, fixtures and building supplies at ReStore, which he has been with for more than a dozen years.

“I had been to the VA in Brainerd in 2008 and saw somebody, got some help for awhile, was good for a couple of years, kind of went back in 2013 and started talking to another mental health provider, got onto

some different medications at that time.”

“One thing that causes me the most flashbacks -- and it’s something that most people don’t think of -- but in Afghanistan, one day I was tasked with going down to the front gates on Bagram Air Base … but while I was down there, there was a lot of diesel smoke,” Hall said.

To All our Veteran's -

Thank you for your Service and Commitment to our Freedom!

Walker, Akeley, Longville, Remer, Hackensack Backus, Pequot Lakes, Crosslake, Baxter

FNBNORTH.COM 001638226r1

Hearing a car backfire might bring back memories of gunfire for a combat veteran, who may also avoid crowded places like shopping malls because it feels dangerous to be around so many people, according to the National Center for PTSD. “Luckily, I have my faith, which plays a big part in my life. I was born and raised in the Lutheran church, so my faith -- and a lot of family and friends back home helped, but also, too, some of the people that I served

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

39

“I was born and raised on a farm in North Dakota, and I’ve been around diesel fuel, diesel smoke, and it didn’t bother me, but now sitting at (highways) 371, 210 stoplights, and a big diesel truck pulls up, it automatically transports me back to when I was in Afghanistan.”

Hall’s symptoms of PTSD include, he said, tightness of chest, sweaty hands and replaying the incident for days, but since seeking treatment, he has learned many mindfulness and deep breathing exercises that allow him to live in the now.

“Just kind of telling yourself, ‘You’re OK, you’re in a safe spot, you’re not in Afghanistan,’ and you just repeat it to yourself,” said Hall, who receives treatment from the VA periodically.

Hall said he had a “major anxiety attack” the day after Christmas last year based on his time in Afghanistan.

“One time, when we were in Afghanistan, we were sleeping, and all of the sudden it comes over the loudspeaker there’s a red alert, which means that there’s somebody on base that shouldn’t be. So they found out that an Afghan had cut through the wire and was on base,” Hall said.

“Two-man teams were sent out, go to the bunkers, account for everybody, they sent out dogs all over the place trying to find these people.”

In December, Hall admitted he needed help dealing with his time in Afghanistan and entered the Residential Rehabilitation Treatment

001788981r1

Thank you for your service!

40

On County Road 3 in Downtown Crosslake • 218-692-2711 S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

“I was scared to death to go into the treatment program in St. Cloud, but it definitely saved my marriage, my job and it gave me a lot better perspective on life and coping mechanisms.”

-Scott Hall Program for PTSD in St. Cloud for their 45-day recovery program.

“I would say I’m doing a lot better. My wife Tessa and I have been going to counseling to understand PTSD, what I’ve been going through. My family, my wife -- she had no idea about any of these stories or struggles. I just carried it along with me for this long,” Hall said.

“I wanted them to think that my time in Afghanistan was just behind the desk, that I wasn’t in any danger, but I’ve learned that I would encourage other veterans to just get the help that they need.”

Veterans Crisis Line: 800-273-8255 (and press 1)

Chat online:

www.VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat

Texting Option:

text 838255 for confidential support around the clock.

GETTING HELP

“It was really tough to think, ‘What is Habitat going to think, what is my family going to think? Are they going to judge me? Am I weak?’ Guys aren’t supposed to show their feelings and stuff like that,” Hall said.

“I was scared to death to go into the treatment program in St. Cloud, but it definitely saved my marriage, my job and it gave me a lot better perspective on life and coping mechanisms.”

Veterans and their supporters were reminded by Brainerd VA Clinic officials that if warning signs are noticed, call the Veterans Crisis Line at 800273-8255 (and press 1), chat online at www.VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat or text 838255 for confidential support around the clock.

“Some veterans don’t want to go to the VA because they’ve heard horror stories of the long wait times or whatever, but I was taken care of very well and have nothing but good to say about the VA system,” Hall said.

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

41

James D. Morgan Army 1973-1977; Korean War

Harry Brickheimer Air Force 1933-1970 Deceased 2002

John P. Morgan Army WWII Deceased 9/11/2004

Steven J. Morgan Army 1988-1991

Robert Welsch 1953-1954; Korean War

42

S LUTE Veterans Day • November, 2018

John R. Morgan Army Korean War Deceased 12/21/2006

Harley L. Ellis Army 1973-1975

Warren D. Morgan National Guard

JIBEC Heating and Cooling would like to

thank all Veterans for their service and sacrifice. We honor you today, and every day, and are forever grateful!

www.jibechvac.com 1775 Dandelion Lane SW Brainerd, MN 56401 • 218-828-0330

001785398r1

HELPING FAMILIES FOR OVER 25 YEARS. Accra provides support to families that need help in their homes for a loved one with a disability. We’ll help you navigate the different services available to you. One of our services, PCA Choice, allows you to choose a family member or friend to be your paid caregiver.

VETERANS, WE ARE

thankful FOR YOUR SERVICE!

Non-Profit Home Care Agency

Non-profit agency providing services and supports in your home and community.

We accept major insurance plans; Medicaid and private pay.

Call our Brainerd office and ask about the possibilities!

218-270-5905

SERVING PEOPLE STATEWIDE www.accracare.org