Fort Dodge community honors its veterans
‘True heroism is doing the right thing when duty calls’
-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla<br> Local veterans, from left, Wayne Rentz, Coast Guard; Corrine Cannon, Air Force; and Dan Lewandowski, Army; salute during the Veterans Day observance Wednesday morning in the auditorium of St. Edmond Catholic School.
-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla<br> Mike Larson, of Fort Dodge, gives a speech for Veterans Day on Wednesday at St. Edmond Catholic School.
-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla<br> Tom Dorsey was the master of ceremonies at the Fort Dodge Veterans Day observance Wednesday at St. Edmond Catholic School.
-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla<br> Local veterans, from left, Wayne Rentz, Coast Guard; Corrine Cannon, Air Force; and Dan Lewandowski, Army; salute during the Veterans Day observance Wednesday morning in the auditorium of St. Edmond Catholic School.
-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla<br> Mike Larson, of Fort Dodge, gives a speech for Veterans Day on Wednesday at St. Edmond Catholic School.
-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla<br> Tom Dorsey was the master of ceremonies at the Fort Dodge Veterans Day observance Wednesday at St. Edmond Catholic School.
Trending
Members of the Fort Dodge community came together Wednesday morning to honor those who could accurately be called the true heroes in their midst.
Those people often have old uniforms hanging in the closet and framed displays of patches and medals in their living rooms. They are veterans of the United States military.
Some 200 people filled the auditorium of St. Edmond Catholic School Wednesday to pay tribute to them during the Veterans Day observance.
'Today, we gather to honor those who defend our freedom," said Mike Larson, a Navy veteran and vice commander of American Legion Post 130 in Fort Dodge.
Larson, who was the keynote speaker for the program, described what he called "genuine heroism."
"Too often, we look at professional sports figures, like Lebron James, or Hollywood productions in search of our heroes," he said. "Yet a much greater case can be made that it is the neighbor next door, a business acquaintance, or a distant relative who exhibits the traits most associated with genuine heroism."
Heroism, Larson said, does not depend on recognition.
"True heroism is doing the right thing when duty calls whether anyone knows about it or not," he said.
He added that most veterans just want to return to civilian life without any fanfare.
Early in the ceremony, St. Edmond Catholic School junior Laila Hickey explained why Veterans Day is observed on Nov. 11 every year. She said that on the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 an armistice ending World War I went into effect. Nov. 11 was then celebrated as a patriotic holiday for years before evolving into today's Veterans Day.
The St. Edmond High School band started the event by playing the songs of all the branches of the armed forces. The colorguard of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1856 brought the flags of the United States and Iowa into the packed auditorium.
The St. Edmond High School choir sang the national anthem.
The Rev. Jacob Rosenmeyer, the St. Edmond chaplain, gave the invocation and benediction.