Vets groups hold Veterans Day events

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Local veterans groups in Van Wert and Delphos turned out to honor military veterans and current service men and women during Veterans Day ceremonies on Monday.

American Legion Post 178 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5803 both hosted a Veterans Day service at Memorial Park adjacent to the Legion post home. Past Legion Commander Dave Myers emceed the event, while Chaplain Dick Elder gave the invocation and benediction.

Speakers included Van Wert Mayor Don Farmer, who noted that, because he was born on Veterans Day in 1938, his mother used to jokingly tell him that the parades and ceremonies were all in his honor.

Featured speaker was John Wiley of VFW Post 5803, who spoke of how American soldiers have protected the United States “by their duty, honor and selfless service” for 230 years.

He also talked about Staff Sergeant Sonny Zimmerman, a Waynesfield native who died in Afghanistan earlier this year, and read a portion of a last letter Zimmerman wrote before his death in which he said he felt he had done his best to turn his platoon members into good soldiers and urged his former soldiers to work as hard as they can “so if death ever comes knocking, you can’t blame yourself.”

Wiley also talked about soldiers “who stand guard in the chill of the night while others sleep. They understand the meaning of hardship standing watch at freedom’s frontiers far from their loved ones.”

His wife, Colleen, who is commander of VFW Post 5803, also honored one of Van Wert County’s oldest living veterans, 93-year-old Albert Bolenbaugh, when she presented him with a “World War II Veteran” cap, a small American flag and other memorabilia while Bolenbaugh’s son, Burdette, looked on.

Following the presentation, the combined honor guard of Legion Post 178 and VFW Post 5803 provided a 21-gun salute, while “Taps” and the benediction ended the local ceremony.

A free lunch was provided following the ceremony at the Legion Post.

In Delphos, the Delphos Veterans Council, which includes veterans from the Delphos Legion and VFW posts, held a Veterans Day ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park in Delphos.

Delphos American Legion Commander Larry Grothouse was emcee of that ceremony, while Chaplain Larry Luersman provided prayer and both Grothouse and the Ladies Auxiliary president honored veterans who live in the Delphos community and across the nation.

A lunch was also provided at the Delphos Legion Post following that ceremony.