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In this Issue:
News: Borderland-area businesses display pride of North Dakota, Pg. A2
Opinion: Greg Goodman writes The Evening Run: Finally, my side, Pg. A4
Community: North Border Pembina second graders perform word surgery, Pg. A7
Church/Obituaries Sports Classifieds Public Notices
Pages A8 - A9 Pages B1 - B3 Page B5 Pages B6 - B7
Friday, November 17, 2023
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Theborderlandpress.com
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Volume 2, Number 45
Area players make AllRegion and All-State fall sports teams
Third grader from Hannah raises money for veterans
By Sarah Hinnenkamp
The first public donation for the future veterans memorial being planned by the Langdon American Legion came from an 8, soon to be 9-year-old.
urday, Nov. 11 at the Langdon American Legion. Owen also received a certificate of appreciation and gave a speech during the program.
Owen Plummer of Hannah set a goal for himself last year at the Veterans Day program: the St. Alphonsus School third grader was determined to raise $1,000 in one year to help local veterans.
“I was a little bit nervous,” Owen said. “But then I just pushed through, and I did it.”
“I think it is absolutely fantastic. I am very proud of him that he has a really big heart and that he thinks of other people before himself,” said Alyssa Plummer, Owen’s mom.
“I called Choice Bank in Langdon, and [president] Todd Borchardt didn’t even hesitate when I asked if he would put some money towards it, and he said right away, ‘let’s match it’,” Alyssa said. “This community really has big hearts.”
Owen’s patriotism started young, singing along to the national anthem at a basketball game at just 13-months old and stopping to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at every American flag he has seen since the age of 2. About six months ago, when Owen’s fundraising was in full swing, the Langdon American Legion began seriously talking about putting up a veterans memorial in Langdon. Owen loves the veterans memorial in Sarles and decided he wanted his donation to go toward the newly born project. Owen raised a total of $1,026.59 and presented his check at the Veterans Day program on Sat-
Donation leads to new playground equipment at Langdon Area Elementary
Owen’s donation is building momentum and received a match sponsor.
Leon Hiltner of the American Legion said the rough estimate for a veterans memorial project is $15,000 $20,000 dollars and, at the earliest, would be constructed in 2025. He thinks the memorial could go in the city park, but there is work to be done on figuring out the logistics. He hopes the Legion can use the winter months to do more planning. “It was thoughtful of a young person to take on a project. Owen did this on his own, and the memorial wasn’t in the equation when he started doing this,” Hiltner said. “He did it on his own to raise some money to help veterans, and that’s commendable for a
Owen Plummer, Hannah, receives a certificate of appreciation from Scott Anderson, commander of American Legion Post #98 in Langdon. Photo by Larry Stokke.
young person to do that. It’s noteworthy, and we appreciate it at the Post. The timing was right; his effort and his donation kind of transitioned right into the timing of the memorial.”
Alyssa Plummer wanted to give a special thank you to the American Legion Riders, who gave Owen the $210 to make sure he got to $1,000.00 by his Veterans Day goal.
F-86H Sabre jet rededicated in Walhalla By Borderland Press Staff
An iconic site in Walhalla has gotten TLC and was rededicated on Veterans Day. The F-86H Sabre jet is located at the Walhalla Municipal Airport and was rededicated on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 11. This historic F-86H was refurbished as a legacy project of the Walhalla 175th Celebration. Working with the U.S. Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio, and Walhalla city officials, Erick Thornberg led the project - stripping the original paint, repainting, and applying decals. An accompanying plaque was unveiled during the rededication.
Photo by Melanie Thornberg.
The F-86 Sabre jet was America’s front-line aerial defense during the Korean War and countered the Soviet’s MiG-15 engaging the MiG-15 in high-speed aerial dogfights at speeds up to 700 miles per hour. The F-86H model is a fighter-bomber version of the F-86 and carried the powerful 20-millimeter cannon with superior high-altitude performance.
Langdon Area Elementary students are thankful to the Langdon Eagles Club for their donation of playground equipment. This is a Gaga pit that hosts a game called Gaga, which is a mix of foursquare and dodgeball. Currently there are too many students inside the pit to play! Langdon Area Elementary School photo.
In 1971, the U.S. Air Force loaned a retired F-86H to the Walhalla Municipal Airport through the cooperation of then U.S. Senator Quentin Burdick and then Grand Forks Air Base Commander Col. John Charles Wright. The jet was originally dedicated Oct. 10, 1971, with Burdick and Wright as speakers with a crowd of 500 in attendance. Members of the public attended the rededication at the airport and also were part of a program held at the Walhalla American Legion. The event recognized the history of the F-86H and the work done on the project, recognized local veterans on Veterans Day, and was an opportunity for people to visit and enjoy refreshments.
The crowd gathers at the Walhalla Municipal Airport for the rededication ceremony. Photo by Melanie Thornberg.
Pictured are Lt. Colonel Michael Stobie, the new commander of the Cavalier Space Force Station, Jim Martini, co-chair of Walhalla's 175th Celebration Committee, who spearheaded the drive to "Save the Sabre" as one of the "Lasting Legacies" of Walhalla's 175th Celebration; and Erick Thornberg who led the team of volunteers to get all the official military and city approvals to refurbish the plane and get it cleaned, sanded, and repainted during the summer.