Local veterans honored in pinning ceremony
FREMONT — Ninety-eight-year-old Al Stokes likes to joke that the Navy gave him “an all-expense paid tour of the beautiful South Pacific.” Stokes, 98, served in the Navy from 1943 to 1946, putting him in the midst of World War II. But his memory of his worst day of service isn’t typical of many soldiers.
“The worst day was the day I kissed my wife goodbye on a curb in San Francisco and took a cab to a transport ship,” Stokes said.
Did her kiss her on the day he returned?
“You bet I did,” he said.
Stein honors five veterans in pinning ceremony
Stokes was one of five veterans who were honored at the 2022 Veterans Recognition Program hosted by Stein Hospice at the Sandusky County Senior Campus. The pinning ceremony was led by Laura Seikel, Stein Hospice director of provider relations, Katherine Hall, grief counselor.
Seikel said Stein scheduled 25 veteran events in the area as part of the national “We Honor Veterans” program.
“We will honor hundreds of veterans,” Seikel said.
In addition to Stokes, the program honored veterans Kenneth Wagner, David Bibler, Jim Michel and Gary Tusen.
After being drafted into the Marines, Tusen served six months before a pre-military injury forced an honorable discharge. But he served long enough to experience the difficulties of boot camp.
“I left bright and early in the morning and was sent to Parris Island for basic training,” he said. “We were on the go 24 hours a day. It seemed like when we were supposed to be sleeping, someone was screaming at you. There were a lot of things I couldn’t believe. People who couldn’t swim were forced to jump in the water.”
Michel served in the Navy from 1960 to 1966. Like Stokes, his strongest memories of the service are tied to home. His greatest moment was the day his son was born in the base hospital.
Left for boot camp right out of high school
“Leaving home was the hardest part,” Michel said. “I was right out of high school, and within two months, I was heading to boot camp.”
Bibler was exposed to a variety of training when he served in the Army from 1954 to 1956. He learned to drive a 2½-ton "Deuce and a Half” cargo truck, was trained as an officer’s personal driver, and underwent jungle training in Panama.
“I didn’t enjoy it. Jungle training was different than any kind of training I’d had,” he said. “After jungle training, we went east and followed the canal zone. I pulled guard duty in the different dams.”
Bibler also trained as a machine gunner.
“That was different,” he said. “But infantry training was more or less digging a foxhole.”
Nancy Lehman attended the Veterans Recognition Program to honor family members who formerly or currently serve in the military, including her late husband, who served in the Coast Guard.
“My daughter is a 33-year, retired Air Force veteran, and I have a grandson who is a second lieutenant in the Army. Another grandson lost his leg in Iraq and just competed in the Marine Paralympics in D.C.,” she said. “I’m very proud of my family.”
Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at sheritrusty4@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Local veterans honored in pinning ceremony
