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All We Are Saying, Part 3

In the final installment of this Take, I was going to write 500 words about all of the anti war activists that have been gracing our TV screen. As the war has started, I decided that they weren't worth that much. Many are people who hate America, some are just kids who have little worldly experience. Others turn to violence, which is the perfect oxymoron, violent peace protests. A strong movement of support for our troops has also begun, seemingly turning the tide of public opinion to some extent.

I thought it better to talk about the positives, people from our hometown who are making a difference through service to their country. This list is by no means complete; I worked it up in short order. To those I missed, please realize that your family members are just as important as the ones here.

Jeff Mulder, son of Vince and Mary, is a United States Marine who is currently in the theater of operations. Jeff has just over 20 years of service to his country and is very proud to be a Marine. Alan Rye is also a U.S. Marine. He is the son of Roger and Karen and is currently stationed in Japan.

Rick Heitkamp serves in the United States Army and is stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Rick has been active duty for more than eleven years and spent time in ROTC and the National Guard before that. He is currently attending additional schooling to further his military career.

We have three young men in the United States Air Force. Christopher Kruger is an aircraft mechanic stationed in Lakenheath, England. He has been in the military for ten months and is awaiting possible deployment to the Gulf region. He is the son of Denny and Anne Kruger. Derek Vastenhout is the son of Dorothy Seeman. He has been in the Air Force for six months and is stationed at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. Tony and Marsha Kunkel's son Eric is also serving in the Air Force.

These are just a small number of those from Adrian (MN) who chose to serve their country. Seems like a pretty large number for such a small town. We also have a great number of people who serve in the National Guard. Dick and Marsha Jonas' daughter Becky is active duty Air Guard out of Sioux Falls. Becky has been in the Air Guard since her graduation and is the supervisor of regional recruiters. The list goes on and on.

The residents of Adrian and the surrounding area have a rich history of service to their country. We have helped in all the wars and all the times in between. As the war in Iraq is beginning to get more difficult and costly, we all must remember those have served in the past and those who are serving as you read this. One comment that was made to me as I contacted most of the parents on my list was this; the members of the military are completely behind the President and believe completely in the mission that faces them today. There is no doubt in their minds that they are doing the right thing.

The Memorial that stood by the fire hall, and will stand in our town again soon, has the names of Adrian residents that made the ultimate sacrifice for their country and all of her people. In the name of freedom and liberty they answered the call and defended her. As our residents serve today, let us all say a prayer for them and all of the service members all around the world. Also say a prayer of thanks for the work that they do. They do this for us. When given the opportunity, pass along a good word to the family members listed above, and all of the others in the area. To our military, good luck and Godspeed.