Honoring those who served: Nelson Weirick named Wayne County Veteran of the Year
WOOSTER − Retired hull technician Nelson Weirick is a man of few words.
So when the Navy veteran was named the 2022 Veteran of the Year, he kept his acceptance speech short.
"I don't know who all was on the committee (at the American Legion Post 68) that chose me but thank you for choosing me," Weirick said to a crowd of nearly 50 people, including veterans and local leaders.
Sailing into retirement:Weirick retiring as director of Wayne's Veteran Service Commission
Despite the Friday rain, dozens made it to the Wayne County Veterans Day ceremony held in the Event Center at the fairgrounds to honor the county's servicewomen and men, like Weirick.
He served as a maintenance and repair technician (welders and metal workers) in the U.S. Navy for nearly 20 years with a brief stint in the Coast Guard, and in civilian work before returning to the Navy and retiring in 1999, he said.
Weirick was pivotal in creating the Wayne County Veteran Service Commission in 2007, a body that he retired from in 2019.
"I would say the best part of my time in the Navy was I got to meet and work with and work under a lot of great people," he said after the event.
Remembering the Vietnam War
Four decades ago in 1982, President Ronald Reagan dedicated the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The iconic v-shaped wall is inscribed with the names of those who died or are missing from the nearly decade-long conflict.
In more than 10 years, 47,434 U.S. troops were killed in combat with an additional 10,786 killed outside of battle, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Fundraising:Vietnam Veterans chapter fundraiser benefits programs and events
After decades of conflict, the Vietnamese government released a report in 1995, estimating that some 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters died with as many as 2 million civilians dead on both sides. The U.S. military estimates that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died in the fighting.
Retired Tech. Sgt. Johnny Bevins recognized the "heavy price" Vietnam veterans paid before, during and after they fought in Vietnam.
"I'm sorry for what you had to go through, but I thank you for doing it and keeping your head up and still loving this country," Bevins said at the Wayne County Veterans Day event.
As a veteran of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, also known as Operation Desert Storm, Bevins fought for a country that he said was changed by its war in Vietnam.
"We were supported in Desert Storm like those in no other war," he said. He received packages from schools and letters from people he never met.
Supporting veterans
Halfway through Bevins' largely improvised speech, he switched hats, tucking away his beret in favor of a veterans cap. People can often recognize a veteran for that cap or a jacket that denotes their service history, he said.
"We're thanked every day," Bevins said. "But we didn't do this for a thank you."
He said everyone, including other veterans, need to do more.
"Every day, in our country, 17 of our fellow veterans take their lives," Bevins said. "In Ohio, we lose two every day."
He urged everyone to do more than just thank a veteran.
"Do more than shake their hands or give them a hug," Bevins said. "Listen to them talk."
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Nelson Weirick named Wayne County Veteran of the Year
