It started off quietly; only the soft sounds of footsteps filled the room as five honor guard members placed the U.S., the state of Wisconsin and POW-MIA flags on the stage of Schofield Auditorium.
Then the sound came as the Singing Statesmen sang “The Star Spangled Banner,” in honor of Veterans Day.
The stage was now set as three local veterans and the 93rd Assembly District Rep. Rob Kreibich took the stage Thursday night to share their experiences and insight on their services and the importance of Veterans Day to an audience of about 35 people.
| “Those serving today are not strangers, but are our friends, our neighbors, our family members.” –Rob Kreibich 93rd District Assembly Representative |
“We were proud to bring it to the university and the surrounding community,” Vets Club President Matt Bolinger said. “It’s very important for military members and their families to come touch base with their legislators.”
The event, dubbed “Service Before Self: Supporting Our Deployed Troops and Their Families,” featured Kreibich, City Council representative Hal Davis, state Sen. Ron Brown and Eau Claire County Veterans Service Officer Clifton Sorenson. It was the 11th annual Veterans Day program held by the Vets Club.
“I think (the event) was fantastic,” said senior Scott Kniprath, a veteran of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. “The biggest thing people can learn is that … all their rights and their abilities … have all been bought and paid for with the blood of veterans.”
Brown took the stage first as he spoke about how he celebrated his Veterans Day by making appearances at area schools like Osseo-Fairchild High School and DeLong Middle School. He also spent time talking with veterans from World War II, he said.
“Let us seize this opportunity to offer a thank you for the 128 years (our soldiers have) protected freedom,” Brown said.
Kreibich spoke next, discussing the sacrifices the country has made and why it is imperative to honor American veterans. In the past two years, 24 Wisconsin soldiers have died in Iraq, he said, and more than 4,200 Wisconsin residents have served overseas since Sept. 11, 2001.
“Those serving today are not strangers, but are our friends, our neighbors, our family members,” Kreibich said. “Always remember that we will always be proud. We will always be prepared so we may always be free.”
Davis took a different approach as he reflected upon his service in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War. His experiences, he said, taught him that through service, people find their true self.
“Most of us, as veterans, would not trade these experiences that we’ve had for anything,” Davis said.
The final speech came from Sorenson, who spoke of the importance of honoring veterans for the services they performed for America. Veterans Day, he said, is for all veterans.
“We shall never take our veterans for granted,” Sorenson said. “We are forever thankful for those who served and are serving today. God bless our veterans.”
As the event concluded, Kniprath reflected on the importance of the event, despite the 35-person turnout.
“I thought, you know what, even if there’s three people in the audience, I’m going to be one of them.”
