November 12, 2014 at 4:57 p.m.
Community salutes veterans with patriotic ceremonies
Community salutes veterans with patriotic ceremonies
The annual ceremony usually held on the courthouse lawn was moved to Nativity Catholic Church - St. Mary's Parish on King Street. The Nativity Catholic Junior High Chorus performed the national anthem and "America the Beautiful" while Pastor Ken White led the group in prayer.
After the prayer, guest speaker Brian Jopek, a reporter with The Lakeland Times in Minocqua, addressed the crowd.
Jopek served for more than 21 years in the Wisconsin Army National Guard, most of that time in Army public affairs. He did one combat tour to Iraq in 2004 and was also deployed to Guantanamo Bay in 2008.
His oldest son, Ryan Jopek, also served in the Wisconsin Army National Guard as a cavalry scout. He was killed in action during his final convoy security mission in 2006, outside Tikrit, Iraq, two weeks before he was scheduled to come home.
Jopek spoke to the group about the meaning of service.
"Pastor White mentioned being citizens of the nation," he said. "Being a veteran means a lot of different things to me. I could go on forever, but he mentioned citizens of the nation. One of the things I want to talk about here is that part of what it means to be a veteran is giving back. That's one of the things to remember. Service in general is important, not just in the military. Giving back to your community."
For Jopek, his time in the service wasn't about overarching themes of independence. It was much simpler.
"We all hear about freedom," he said. "A lot of people have died for us to be able to live the way we can. When I was over in Iraq, when I was in formations, there wasn't a lot of talk about being there for freedom or being there for God and country. That kind of stuff gets saved for back here. When you're over there, you're there for each other, your brothers and sisters in arms. You're there for them."
"You do what you can to make sure they get home safe," he added. "That gets back to the idea of service. You're doing things for each other there, and when you come home, you do things here for other people."
That kind of service isn't hard. In fact, Jopek said it can be as simple as saying thanks.
"I was in Merrill at a Kwik Trip to get an honor and remember flag for my son," he said. "When I walked in, there was a guy who had seen the U.S. Army bug shield on my truck and the sticker for my son. He said to me, 'Thank you for everything.' What do you say to that? It isn't what you say, it's what you do. Go out and do things for people. That to me is a big part of what it means to be a veteran of the United States military."
A Veterans Day program was also held at James Williams Middle School. Students and members of the community packed the gymnasium to listen to a collection of patriotic songs performed by the middle school band and chorus.
The weather delay changed the schedule slightly. Tammy Walters, Oneida County Veteran Service Officer, was the planned guest speaker but she was unable to attend. Mayor Dick Johns was also scheduled to make a proclamation but couldn't attend. Principal Paul Johnson read the text in his place.
"As we're gathered this Veterans Day to commemorate friends, neighbors and loved ones who have served in the branches of our military, both fallen and those still among us, many women who have shown us unwavering courage as they face our nations enemies, and whereas we as the people of the United States of America have been and remain beneficiaries of the sacrificial service made by our service members who protect our country so that day by day we are able to live our lives in safety and nightly pillow our heads free from fear because of their continued diligence, and whereas it is only fitting that our veterans and current service members be recognized and held in high esteem," he said. "We gather to honor their selfless service this Veterans Day 2014. Therefore, I, speaking on behalf of Mayor Dick Johns do hereby urge everyone here to find a soldier and a veteran to thank them for their service to our nation and to us in particular."
Andy Hildebrand may be reached at [email protected].
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