Honor Role

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Veterans In Our Club

Vet Salute at Rotary – 2009

We have the good fortune to have among us a number of those who are being honored with a national holiday – I’m speaking of course about our Veterans. 

Today is the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that finished World War I. Signatures on the treaty were signed at 11th hour of 11th Day of 11th Month of 1918.

Originally Armistice Day, it became All Veteran’s Day in 1953 when a shoe store owner worked with the Emporia, Kansas Chamber of Commerce to promote Armistice Day to a day to commemorate all veterans, not just those from WWI. The idea caught on and Congressman Ed Rees from Emporia pushed through a bill that was signed by President Eisenhower 1954 to ensure Veteran’s Day was formally recognized that fall. In 1971 Congress declared that under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, Veteran’s Day would be shifted to the fourth Monday of October.  That did not go over well with Veteran’s groups and after increasing pressure, Congress reverted the date to Nov. 11 in 1978.

Today, I’d like to call the roll of our Veteran’s here at Rotary so we may formally thank them for their dedicated and often heroic service to their country and the free world.

APITZ, Jeffry.  Major, Australian Regular Army Corps of Engineers.

Barrows, Robert, First Lieutenant, US Army Corp of Engineers

Barry, John, Major General, United States Air Force, Fighter Pilot

Broom, Robert, Airman First Class, United States Air Force Reserve

Brown, Robert, 2^nd Lieutenant, United State Army Reserve

Burt, Tracy, Captain, United States Marine Corps

Engleken, Edgar, Radioman 2^nd Class, United States Navy, and Captain, United States Air Force Reserve

Jessop, Gordon,  Master Sergeant United States Air Force

Kirkman, Allen, Colonel, United States Air Force

Kraus, Jerry,   Private First Class, United States Marine Corps

Lemon, David, Sergeant, United States Army National Guard

Miller, Ronald, Sergeant, United States Army National Guard

Paroske, John, Staff Sergeant, United States Air Force

Peck, George, Lieutenant Colonel, United State Air Force

Rapp, William, Electricians Mate Third Class, United States Navy

Todd, Nancy, wife of Col. Terry Todd, United States Army Reserve

Weddig, Frank, AIC USAF Guard

Whye, Diana, Private First Class, United States Army

Wiggins, William, Sergeant, United States Army

Williams, David, Airman First Class, United States Air Force

Would any veterans who we may have overlooked, please stand and announce themselves with their name, rank and service…

Would any spouses or close relatives of honorably served—or serving veterans please stand and give the name of their veteran…

Ladies and gentlemen, I’m proud to be part of this group of distinguished veterans who continue to be of service to their country and the world in the Aurora Rotary Club. 

And one last point of order if I may.  I would like to formally congratulate my colleagues in the United State Marine Corps on the occasion of their 234^th Birthday celebrated yesterday, Nov. 10.  Semper Fi Marines!

Story for newsletter

Aurora Rotary Veterans Honored

The roll was called at Aurora Rotary on Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11, to honor and recognize the veterans in the club. Earlier, each had been asked to provide some background.   Here is what we received:

Jeff Apitz:  Major   Australian Regular Army – Corps of Engineers:

During military service undertook the design and construction of major civil engineering and building construction projects for the Australian Government throughout northern Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and other island nations throughout the South Pacific.

Bob Barrows: 1st Lt., US Army Corps of Engineers:

John Barry:  Major General, USAF:

Thirty-one year veteran of Air Force (1973-2004), Academy Honor grad, fighter pilot (F-4s, F-16s). National Security Fellow, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.  Directed the Columbia Space Shuttle Accident Investigation, Retired as a Major General.  

Bob Broom, Airman First Class, United States Air Force Reserve

I served 4 years in Air National Guard plus 4 years in Air Force Reserves. I think I ended up as Airman First Class. We did get called up for active duty for 1 year in Response to Berlin Crises. 

Bob Brown, 2^nd Lieutenant, United State Army Reserve

Served at Aberdeen Maryland as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army following graduation from college.  Retired from the Reserves as a Captain.

Tracy Burt, Captain, United States Marine Corps:

Served from  1957 to 1967 - 10 year obligation.  Still remembers and can shout out his serial number.  Officer Candidate training after graduation from University of Colorado, Schooling at Quantico,VA.  Commissioned at USMB Quantico, VA Duty Stations at USMB Camp LeJeune, NC, and USMB Twenty-nine Palms, CA

Pete Engleken, Radioman 2^nd Class, United States Navy, and Captain, United States Air Force Reserve:

Entered the U. S. Navy 1944.  Served as a Radioman Second Class aboard a Hospital Ship, 3rd Fleet, South Pacific Areas.  Had initial training at  Great Lakes Navy Training Base and then attended Radio School at the University of  Wisconsin, Madison, WI.  Also serve in Newport Rhode Island and the Brooklyn Navy Yard.  Honorably discharged from the Navy in 1946. Then attended Kansas State University where upon graduation received a Commission as 2nd Lieutenant through Air Force ROTC in 1949.  Served in the Air Force Reserve at Lowry AFB until discharged with rank of Captain. 

Allen Kirkman Jr., Colonel, United States Air Force: 

Former Commander of the 460^th Space Wing at Buckley.  Has served 29 years in the Air Force.  Master Missileer and Space Operator.  Graduate of Marine Corps Command and Staff College (speaks to credibility), National Defense Fellow at MIT, still serving at Peterson AFB CO

Jerry Kraus, Private First Class, U. S. Marine Corps: 

Served in Korea during the Korean War.  One of the highly decorated Chosin Few who broke out of an encirclement of 60,000 Chinese troops inflicted crippling losses to the Chinese.  Jerry wants everyone to know the Marines celebrated their 234^th Birthday Nov. 10.

David Lemon, Sergeant, US Army National Guard: 

I was deployed to Iraq January 2003 – May 2004.  I was attached to the Iraq Survey Group while there and was awarded the Joint Services Achievement Medal.

Ron Miller:  Non-commissioned officer,  Army National Guard, Kansas.

John Paroske: Staff Sergeant, USAF:

Served from 1966-1970, Staff Sgt., Pleiku, Vietnam

George Peck, Lt. Col., USAF:

Served 25 years in the Air Force, retired as a Lieutenant Colonel and Lowry AFB’s last Public Affairs Officer in 1993.  Served both in the United States as well as Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.

Bill Rapp, Electricians Mate Third Class, United States Navy:

I served in the U.S. Navy for 6 years in the Navy Reserve.  I left the Navy as a third class electrician’s mate. This was during the Viet Nam era.  Joining the Navy was an easy decision because I had been around the Navy for 18 years already, as my Dad was a career Naval Officer. 

Prior to that time I had made application to the Air Force Academy and had proceeded quite far in that application, process but decided, once I learned that I would not be able to fly airplanes, to go to a college in Virginia.

Nancy Todd, wife of Col. Terry Todd, United States Army Reserve

I didn't serve but supported my husband, Terry.  He is a retired Colonel in the Army Reserve and served for 23 years...2 active duty and 21 in the Colorado USAR School.

Diana Whye, Private First Class, United States Army:

Served in the Army at Fort Rucker, Alabama.  Honorably discharged as a Private First Class. 

Bill Wiggins, Sergeant, United States Army:

Was a Sergeant (E-5) in Germany in 1955-56 during peace time occupation of that country.

Dave Williams, Airman First Class,  U S Air Force:

Served four years.  Was a Radar Operator, part of the NORAD system in Oregon and Washington State