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Veterans recognized during ceremony at The Lakes at Jefferson

The Herald - 6/6/2023

Jun. 5—JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — Surrounded by friends, fellow residents and family members, the veterans who call The Lakes at Jefferson home received a special "thank you" Thursday evening, along with a whole wall dedicated to recognizing their service.

With patriotic red, white and blue balloons decorating the independent living facility's main lobby, along with a large banner that said "Thank you veterans," Administrator Ronald Duez said he had wanted to recognize the facility's veterans for more than a year, but wasn't sure how.

After some thinking and the support of his staff, Duez said the facility eventually developed a wall decorated with the photos, names and service of the facility's veterans, along with an American flag, seals of the different military branches and the phrase "Our Veterans, Our Heroes."

The wall will remain up year-round, and will be updated over the years to reflect the facility's veteran community, Duez said.

"We already have many visitors and a lot of family members who go straight to this wall," Duez said.

Present for the ceremony was state Rep. Tim Bonner, who spoke on the history of the American armed forces and the original "ragtag militias" comprised of farmers and hunters who fought during the American Revolutionary War.

Another speaker during the ceremony was Mercer County Veterans Affairs Director Bradley Alan, who described the life of veteran Don Hepler, who passed away earlier this year at the age of 101.

To illustrate the changing times Hepler lived through, Alan played the top songs from 1921, 1981 and 2021, ranging from the song "My Mammy" to "Levitating."

Alan also described Hepler's time in the Army as part of the Third Army Corps of Engineers under Gen. George S. Patton, to returning home and working at Sharon Steel as an engineer while raising a family, which Alan said reflected the lives led by many veterans after their service.

"Thank you for your service, and thank you to the families for your service," Alan said to the crowd in closing.

Also present for the event was trustee Louis Dixon, adjutant George Bert, and trustee Jimmy Lewis of Wilbur Rhodes VFW Post 6345, Mercer, who presented the veterans with challenge coins.

As part of the ceremony, Duez read the names and services of the veterans being recognized, including Richard Henry, who served in the Marines from 1963 through 1967 and the National Guard from 1967 through 1989; Harold Ealy, who served in the Army from 1960 through 1966; John Jack Lucy, who served in the Navy from 1945 through 1946 and again from 1951 through 1953; Edward Geisler, who served in the Marines from 1948 through 1950; Vaughn Long, who served in the Navy from 1943 through 1945; David Cook, who served in the Army from 1966 through 1972; John Holiga, who served in the Navy from 1945 through 1946; John Felix, who served in the Navy from 1965 through 1968; Bill Shesman, who served in the Army from 1957 through 1959; Donald Kozallo, who served in the Army from 1972 through 1974 and the National Guard from 1974 through 1980; William Gundaker, who served in the Air Force from 1956 through 1960; William Roach, who served in the Army from 1959 through 1961 and the Reserves from 1961 through 1965; Gary Klaric, who served in the Marines from 1969 through 1971; and Earl Hunter, who served in the Marines in 1959, the Navy in 1967, and the Air Force in 1968.

Like David L. Dye on Facebook or email him at .

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