Resident veterans honored at senior care facilities

Veterans who reside at the Imperial Manor and Parkview Heights were recognized Monday at a special Veterans Day program.
Sixteen veterans, who had served in one of the U.S. military divisions, were introduced, then presented a certificate and corsage.
Veterans recognized were Howard Welsh, Larry Hughes, Dwight Egle, John Osler, John Karns, Paul Lewis, Kurt Deutsch, Jack Claney, Harry Keith Jaeger, Lester Harmon, Kenneth Kunnemann, Martin Harmon, Art Wagner, Ronald Magner, Chuck Sargent and Dayton Ballentine.
All veterans present at the program also received a special note with a toy Amy soldier.
Rev. David Kahle, who spoke at the program, joked that it was fitting that his Army soldier had a radio since Kahle likes to talk.
Kahle is an U.S. Army veteran, spending one of his tours as a registered nurse.
Michal Swanson, an Army National Guard veteran from Imperial, was the guest speaker.
Swanson read the definition of a veteran, but added that it isn’t a black-and-white definition.
“We’re all different,” he said. We come “from urban areas and rural areas, we are black and white, male and female, young and old. As soon as you put on that uniform, you’re part of that brotherhood,” he said.
The ceremony was opened and closed by members of the Imperial VFW Post Color Guard.