Everyday Heroes 2017 by Shaw Media

| Everyday Heroes

Home State Bank applauds the dedication of our Everyday Heroes

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WE SALUTE YOU. Thank you for serving our Red, White and Blue. Because of your service to our country and local communities, people big and small, old and young, can live with freedom.

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WELCOME TO EVERYDAY HEROES 2017

Raleigh Showens.................4 Joe Kersten...........................6 Nicole Eisenrich...................7 Richard Young.....................8 Chuck Veach......................10 Dick Hattan.........................11 Thomas Morrissey............ 12 Butch Borchardt................ 13 Loreen Keller......................14 Joy Aavang.........................15 Everett H. Pratt Jr..............16

Ron Bykowski.................... 21 George Braun.................... 22 Helen White.......................23 Rich Walkowiak................ 25 Raymond Andresen......... 26 Chris Christensen..............27 Joe McLachlan.................. 28 Randy Granath.................. 29 Ed Beckstrom.................... 30 Ray Rudden........................ 31

Joe McLachlan

To see a photo gallery of this year’s Everyday Heroes honorees, visit NWHerald.com

Contributors

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• Sunday, February 26, 2017

This section was produced by Northwest Herald editors Dan McCaleb, R. Scott Helmchen, H. Rick Bamman and Joan Oliver; reporters Hannah Prokop, Brittany Keeperman, Jami Kunzer and Nate Linhart; correspondents Cynthia Wolf, Katie Anderson-Tedder, Olivia Morrissey, Lindsay Weber and Sarah Strzalka; photographers Sarah Nader and Michelle LaVigne.

EVERYDAY HEROES | Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com

Come inside and meet some extraordinary veterans and some people who help veterans

Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com • Sunday, February 26, 2017

| EVERYDAY HEROES

RALEIGH SHOWENS

Showens a survivor with heart By CYNTHIA WOLF editorial@shawmedia.com McHENRY – The years have not been especially kind to Raleigh Showens. But one might say that he has been especially kind to his later years. The 69-year-old grew up in northeast Missouri, moving north to Barrington to live with a sister as a teenager. In the late 1960s, as fighting raged in Vietnam, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. “I was a kid,” said Showens, who now calls McHenry home. “I attended basic training at Fort Campbell. We were the first company to go through the barracks since World War II.” From there, the 18-year-old went on to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. It was there, Showens said, that the harsh realities ahead began to dawn on him. “At the time I went through Fort Sam Houston, they were needing medics so bad that our company was training two classes a day,” he said. Showens trained as an Army combat medic, and distinctly remembers graduation day. “The captain thanked us all for our service and told us we all were going to have to cover our [behinds] as we were going into a hot pot and the burner was on full blast … I don’t think there was one of us over the age of 21.” Showens and six of his fellow graduates would go on to fly dozens of rescue flights, spending 14 or 15 hours in the air, touching down to collect the critically wounded and burned, and turning around to fly them back to the United States or sometimes Germany for treatment. With a golden retriever Kare-9 Military Ministry dog named Spike at his feet, Showens sat in a large recliner and recalled his first such flight. It was Easter Sunday, 1967. “It was hot [in Vietnam],” he said. “We started loading. Most of them were burned. If you’ve never smelled burned flesh, I will tell you it’s a smell that will penetrate your body and you’ll never forget it … you just had to keep your mouth shut, swallow and keep going.” A large man who suffers from di-

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Army veteran Raleigh Showens now calls McHenry home.

The Showens file AGE: 69 VETERAN-RELATED ACTIVITIES: AMVETS, VietNow, McHenry American Legion Post 491, Kare-9 Military Ministry, Patriotic Apparel FAMILY: Wife, Linda; children, Melisa and Michelle, and three stepchildren, Wendy, Christopher and Samantha QUOTABLE: “He gave his big lecture and told us he didn’t want any of us to come home covered by the flag. I still get emotional about it today.” – Raleigh Showens

abetes and breathes and moves with difficulty today, Showens said many of the soldiers he helped had been burned with napalm or exposed to the defoliant Agent Orange. Though he never was sprayed with

the chemicals, Showens figures he ingested Agent Orange. Like thousands of others, his Type 2 diabetes is considered service-related. Showens said he has suffered kidney, large-intestine and possibly nerve-system damage. He receives 100 percent disability coverage. Showens added that he knows his service was honorable and appreciated by the people he worked with and helped. But the things he witnessed were the stuff of nightmares. “We’d have a couple of hundred on each flight,” he said, recalling the huge C-130 transports. “On some of the flights, there were deceased in the back … you always wondered if there was one more thing you could have done to save them.” Showens spent the chaotic flights starting IVs, changing them, dressing and flushing wounds – trying to soothe the injured, frightened and, in some cases, dying.

“Sometimes you’d pull off a bandage and just pull skin and flesh off with it,” he said. “The screaming,” he added, voice trailing off, eyes distant. “The pain they were going through.” A young nurse named Carolyn, in particular, haunts Showens. “A nurse got hit,” he said. “She was just blown to bits. She was so grateful when we loaded her. We were headed to Germany. She was so grateful she was going to see her mom and dad again. But on the flight, you knew she was deteriorating. I did everything humanly possible to save her. She died in my arms.” Like his peers, Showens endured the jeers of protesters in the United States. “They called us baby killers,” he said. “I didn’t understand it.”

See SHOWENS, page 5

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After his two-year tour, Showens was honorably discharged. A teetotaler before his service, Showens said he became so drunk the day of his discharge that he didn’t recognize his then-wife, who’d flown to meet him in San Francisco. Life continued to sour for years thereafter, as he went through a series of jobs, mental health issues, physical setbacks, a divorce. Though he still suffers health issues, Showens has not only made peace with his life, but he also has used his knowledge of veterans’ health problems to help others. He’s been active with AMVETS, VietNow and other service-related organizations. And, along with his new wife, Linda, he has established a custom embroidery business with a patriotic apparel branch. “As a kid growing up, my mother taught me how to sew,” Showens said. “She told me ‘If you can sew, you can take care of yourself.’” These days, the Showenses’ garage in the Lakeland Park subdivision of McHenry is packed with brightly colored rolls of thread, commercial-grade sewing equipment and samples of the

caps, jackets and Kare-9 dog vests they decorate. While Linda Showens runs Artistic Embroidery Creations, Raleigh Showens does custom embroidery, garment printing and promotional products under the Patriotic Apparel brand. “I buy all U.S.-made materials,” he said, noting that his clients include AMVETS, the McHenry VFW, the Polish Legion of American Veterans and others. Showens said he has been active with AMVETS since 1992. He’s a state and district officer and past commander. He’s a member of the McHenry American Legion and a former PLAV member. Perhaps most of all, he’s a survivor with heart. “He encountered and experienced much in the way of human suffering,” McHenry Chamber of Commerce President Kay Rial Bates wrote in her nomination of Showens for Everyday Heroes inclusion. “He also, as many medics do, risked his life to save others … “When the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce wished to start its inaugural Veterans Breakfast, our go-to person was Raleigh Showens,” she continued. “He is very acquainted with all of the important people in McHenry County fighting for the rights of veterans.”

Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com • Sunday, February 26, 2017

| EVERYDAY HEROES

JOE KERSTEN

Kersten gets job done for veterans By JAMI KUNZER jkunzer@shawmedia.com WOODSTOCK – Having sat in the sun too long, a framed picture of a young Joe Kersten in his Army uniform has faded over the years. But his memory of wearing that uniform, coming home after serving in the Vietnam War, hasn’t. He remembers well the protests when he walked off the plane, the response he got when he tried to join the VFW back then. “They told me I wasn’t eligible because I wasn’t in a real war,” remembered Kersten, who entered the service in 1969 and served 18 months during the Vietnam War. When he returned home, resources for veterans weren’t readily available or known. Kersten eventually made it his mission to change that. Through the years, the 68-year-old Woodstock man has put in countless hours volunteering for veterans organizations – all with one thought in mind. “I think most Vietnam veterans, we know what happened to us, and we don’t want to see that happen again,” he said. “There was no place to go for help.” That’s not the case today, he said, though he’s quick to refer to others “more deserving” when it comes to talking about progress made to help McHenry County’s veterans. He remembers well the sentiment that surrounded him upon return after the Vietnam War. “They essentially blamed service members for the war, not the people who created it,” he said. It wouldn’t be until years later that Kersten felt a shift in opinion, as he marched alongside other veterans in Chicago in the 1986 Welcome Home parade for Vietnam veterans. Later, spurred on by his doctor to find out more about Agent Orange – one of the herbicides used by the military as part of its herbicidal warfare program during the Vietnam War and believed to increase rates of cancer and respiratory and other disorders – Kersten eventually sought out area veterans resources. He went on to co-found the McHenry County Veterans Assistance Commission in 1989 as a way to provide joint resources for area veterans. He served as the group’s chairman for the first 10 years and was asked to return as chairman again about six and a half years ago. He’s also part of the VFW, the McHenry County chapter of VietNow,

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Joe Kersten of Woodstock is an Army veteran and chairman of the Veteran Assistance Commission of McHenry County. sten has given “100 percent” to veterans. “All the veteran organizations in the county are all volunteer hours,” he said. “Nobody gets paid.” AGE: 68 His wife, Diane, by his side, Kersten VETERAN-RELATED ACTIVITIES: A U.S. shrugs off any “hero” title, though she Army veteran, Kersten served 18 months believes otherwise. beginning in 1969 during the Vietnam “I know a lot of guys have turned to War. He helped co-found the McHenry him,” Diane Kersten said. “When the County Veterans Assistance Commission VAC was in trouble, they knew that by in 1989, serving as chairman for 10 years. turning to him and asking him to come He became chairman again six-and-a-half back it would be run the correct way years ago and still holds the position. He’s because that’s how he operates. If you’re also a member of the Woodstock VFW, the going to do something, you do it right.” McHenry County chapter of VietNow, the Kersten regularly points out others American Legion and AMVETS. he deems more worthy, including his FAMILY: Wife, Diane; three grown friend Alan Belcher, who founded TLS children, Jeff, Donald and Colleen; six Veterans in 1996 to provide housing to grandchildren homeless veterans. In 2011, TLS VeterQUOTABLE: “I think most Vietnam veterans created a drop-in resource center ans, we know what happened to us and in McHenry for veterans and their families. we don’t want to see that happen again. It’s all about getting veterans any and There was no place to go for help.” – Joe all of the benefits and help they deserve. Kersten And that takes collaboration between all of the organizations, said Kersten, who the American Legion and AMVETS. also partners with Veterans’ Services at “He’s a very humble man,” said U.S. McHenry County College, helps host vetMarine veteran Wes Woodall of McHen- eran resource fairs and regularly works ry, who nominated a reluctant Kersten with the James A. Lovell Federal Health as an “Everyday Hero.” The two met in Care Center in North Chicago, among the 1980s, both as members of VietNow, numerous efforts. and became fast friends, taking numer“We’ve come a long way,” he said. ous fishing trips together. “Like everything else in this world, Through the years, Woodall said, Ker- there’s always challenges. There’s ups

The Kersten file

and downs.” Simply filing claims for benefits years ago was a long, arduous process that few veterans would undertake. Today, the VAC helps veterans find financial assistance and referrals for shelter, utilities, food, transportation, independent living and more. For every tax dollar spent on the VAC, $8 in veteran benefits is brought back to the county, Kersten said. “It’s basically a clearinghouse for veterans,” he said of the commission. “If we can’t do it, we work with other agencies in the county that can.” The challenge these days is to protect the benefits already in place and get the word out to veterans who still don’t know about the resources available to them, he said. At MCC, Kersten regularly tells students to check out the grey and balding hair, “including my own,” of those serving the area’s veteran organizations. Younger generations need to step up, he said. “If you get right down to it, I don’t feel like I’ve done a whole bunch,” he said. “I think there are a lot more people doing more.” Diane Kersten, and those who know him, say otherwise. “I think he’s done a bunch,” she said. “There are others out that that maybe have done more, but he’s done a bunch.”

NICOLE EISENRICH

By KATIE ANDERSON-TEDDER editorial@shawmedia.com

Sarah Nader - snader@shawmedia.com

Veteran Nicole Eisenrich is a retired Air Force staff sergeant.

The Eisenrich file AGE: 38 VETERAN-RELATED ACTIVITIES: Heads up the Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies program in the McHenry County region. In the military, exercise, diet and activities are all regimented, she points out. When you leave this, it can be difficult to transition back into civilian life. “You are sort of still waiting for someone to tell you what to do,” she said. This can be even more daunting if you have a disability. The gym membership is what prompts most vets to join, but it is the monthly programs, and the opportunity to “talk shop” and be around fellow veterans that makes the biggest impact, Eisenrich said. Being the local Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies Specialist is not Eisenrich’s full-time job but it has her heart and her full effort. While Eisenrich puts in 40 hours a week at her full-time position with Captive Resources in Schaumburg, she also dedicates anywhere from eight to 25 hours a week organizing, maintaining and growing Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies. The results of her work speak for themselves. Since its inception in

McHenry County, 216 veterans have enrolled in Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies – 55 of those have joined since August, when Eisenrich took over. The Healthy Minds Health Bodies program needs leaders like Eisenrich, program founder Donna Allen-Sebok said. Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies thrives when it is led by people who are dedicated, nonjudgmental and who understand at a personal level why the program “needs” to work, Allen-Sebok said. “There are so many skills that veterans learn ... and when they come home, they have this incredible ability to be leaders and more importantly to be team players,” she explained. “Team players who understand that to create success not just for themselves but for communities, they have to work with others ... this is why we have to join together and support veterans through programs like [Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies], so that this mentality and skill set that veterans possess gets back in to our communities,” she said. For the first several years, Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies was in McHenry County, it was managed by staff at the Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association in Crystal Lake. A grant from the McHenry County Community Foundation in 2016 allowed the program its own dedicated manager. For Eisenrich, the program was more than a gym membership, it was an

opportunity for fellowship and it filled a need for camaraderie that she had missed since being out of the service. And as her one-year anniversary as a participant in the program draws near, Eisenrich is increasingly driven to help her fellow veterans. Whether they join her program with the goal of losing weight to help control diabetes or high blood pressure, or to learn how to stay physically fit after losing the ability to walk, Eisenrich is visibly energized by the opportunity to get these veterans out of isolation and looped back into a community that understands them and respects them. “Nicole is very honest, very open, very candid and very enthusiastic,” said Eisenrich’s longtime friend, Dan Heinen. He said Eisenrich frequently talks about her passion for the Healthy Minds Health Bodies program. “She is just really inspirational to be around. If there is something that you want to do, and it makes sense, Nicole makes you feel like you can do it! And that there is nothing holding you back, but you!” NISRA administrator Jourdan Thunberg, who oversees Eisenrich’s work with Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies, is also optimistic about where the program can go with Eisenrich at the helm. “I really can’t wait to see where she takes the program!” Thunberg said. “She’s got lots of big ideasand ideas on how to move the program forward.”

• Sunday, February 26, 2017

Retired Air Force Staff Sgt. Nicole Eisenrich is a resident of Lake in the Hills. She enjoys going on runs with her dog, Tippi, and loves being around fellow veterans. And, if it were up to the tall, charismatic veteran, those are the only words in this article that would be about her. Eisenrich shares the hallmark of everyday heroes across McHenry County – she cares more about exposure for the program she is involved with than recognition for her hard work. “Please, describe the program,” Eisenrich said multiple times during her interview with the Northwest Herald. “The program” is Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies – an effort to provide disabled veterans tools with which to achieve physical health and fitness goals and to help them become engaged in their communities. Participants enjoy a free, one-year gym membership for the veteran and a partner, free personal training sessions, and free monthly networking outings. Eisenrich has managed the local arm of this nationwide effort since August last year. She coordinates fitness facilities, personal trainers, follows up with participants on progress and accountability, and organizes 12 group outings a year. Eisenrich was a natural fit to lead McHenry County’s Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies. She grew up in Rockford in a “military family.” Her father, Norbert “Frank” Eisenrich, served with the U.S. Marines during the Korean War and four of her five siblings are also in the service. Eisenrich also has the unique perspective of being a disabled veteran herself. During her time in the Air Force – 1997 to 2002 – Eisenrich suffered partial hearing loss and developed tinnitus. Further, at the time that Eisenrich applied to lead Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies, she herself was a participant. Eisenrich joined the program in March 2016. She remembers finding the program so “addicting” that she was compelled to get more involved. Everything about Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies is tailored to be effective in getting veterans engaged in their community and to develop healthy habits, she said.

EVERYDAY HEROES | Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com

Vet fosters Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies

Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com • Sunday, February 26, 2017

| EVERYDAY HEROES

RICHARD YOUNG

Retired Marine continues to give back By KATIE ANDERSON-TEDDER editorial@shawmedia.com Retired Marine Sergeant Richard Young of Woodstock has been a steadfast steward of McHenry County for more than 40 years, working every day to serve, protect and better his community. During his 30-year tenure with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department, Young pioneered the county’s K-9 Police program. In the 20 years since his retirement, Young, with his wife, Monica, have raised thousands of dollars for area charities and local scholarships; driven some of the largest Toys for Tots drives in the region; and have dedicated the last five Thanksgivings and Christmases to cook dinner for local servicemen. For a time in the 1990s,Young and his wife even led a single-family mission to save nuisance goose eggs from area golf courses where they were being destroyed. The Youngs became certified and transported hundreds of birds to places where the population was waning. “One thing you can always count on for Rich and Monica is, if they say they are going to do something, they are going to make it happen,” said Marty “Snappy” Smith III, of McHenry. Smith is a District Commandant for the Department of Illinois Marine Corps. League and has worked with the Youngs for the past five years on various community efforts. “It really doesn’t matter what it is. They are doers. They are not talkers. And they’ve been that way since I’ve known them,” Smith said. The Youngs have been battling cancer for the past several years and despite remain active within the veteran community. Monica Young was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012 and continues treatment today. Rich Young has been fighting prostate cancer on and off for more than 10 years. The urge to “do” earned Richard Young the honor of 2015 Marine of the Year, for the McHenry County Detachment No. 1009 of the Marine Corps League. But a desire for accolades has never been behind Young’s dedication. Young believes that as a citizen, and especially as a veteran of the Marine Corps, service to others is the standard. “Becoming a Marine just [a few] days after graduating from high school, [Richard] has devoted his life to living up to ‘Once a Marine, Always a Marine,’

Sarah Nader - snader@shawmedia.com

Veteran Richard Young of Woodstock stands in front of the mural at the American Legion in McHenry.

The Young file AGE: 73 VETERAN-RELATED ACTIVITIES: Particpates in many Honor Guard/Rifle Salutes for fallen veterans; assists preparing Thanksgiving and Christmas Day meals/activities for active servicemen; regular hospital and nursing home visits; and more. FAMILY: Wife of 51 years, Monica S. Young (plus a house full of English Setters) QUOTABLE: “[Giving back to the community] is just the right thing to do. Help others if you can. No one knows what the future brings, do your best while you’re able!” – Richard Young

in part by doing something good for others at every opportunity,” said Monica Young, Richard’s wife of 51 years. Monica considers Richard her

personal hero and she has dedicated her life to him and his causes. “I made up my mind not long after we were together that Richard can do anything he wants to, if he just puts his mind to it,” Monica Young said as she sat next to Richard during a recent interview with the Northwest Herald. Richard Young’s urge to “do” started at an early age. Young remembers joining the Marines at 16 with his father at his side. Already enlisted, Young left for the service just five days after graduating from Niles East High School, he said. About a year later, in 1964, Young signed on for a different kind of commitment. He met Monica, and on Feb. 26, 1966, the two were married. Since the beginning, Richard and Monica have been each other’s biggest supporter, best friend and hero. “She is always there for me,” Richard Young said. “She always has been.” Shortly after leaving the military in 1969, the Youngs moved from the

Chicago suburbs to McHenry County. The lure of open land and a welcoming community in which to breed English setters and Labradors first drew the couple to McHenry and later to Woodstock. In 1977, Young made patrolman with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department and within a short time went to work on launching a canine unit. “I paid for the supplies and food and tried to prove it would be a good idea,” Young remembers. That effort paid off, according to several former sheriff’s department personnel, including retired Deputy Sheriff Louis Schoen, Sheriff Keith Nygren, Undersheriff Andrew Zinke and others. In 1988, Young and one of his dogs got a chance to shine when they tracked down a man who robbed a bank in Richmond. A short time later, the duo located two lost toddlers who had wandered away from their family.

See YOUNG, page 9

• YOUNG

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• Sunday, February 26, 2017

“As a young policeman, and up until Rich’s retirement, I along with many other area officers would often look to Rich for guidance because of his skills and willingness to pass along knowledge,“ said Ron Delelio, former police chief of Cary, in a 2014 letter of recommendation. Since his retirement from the force in 1997, Young has continued his service to others, according to friends and fellow area veterans. “A lot of local groups really love Richard’s passion,” said Jeffrey Bruce, a former local Marine Corps League Commandant. Bruce has known and worked with Young for more than a decade. “Rich’s stamina is amazing. He spends so much of his day, almost every day, working for one group or cause or another,” Bruce said. Some of Young’s more recent efforts include serving Color Guard at dozens of local parades, funerals and ceremonies, founding Devil Dog Pound No. 369 – a society within the Marine Corps League dedicated to raising money for children’s hospitals, helping to feed homeless veterans with Transitional Living Services of McHenry, and orchestrating

EVERYDAY HEROES | Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com

Continued from page 8

the building of a Purple Heart Monument at the McHenry County Government Center. The large granite monument went from idea to reality in a matter of months, a feat at which many of his fellow veterans marvel. The monument was unveiled in 2014 and is viewed more than 600,000 times each year by visitors to the government center, according to government officials. It also happens to be the only two-sided Purple Heart Monument in the country. “We wanted people to see it coming in and going,” Richard Young said. “So those veterans would know that they are appreciated.” A veteran earns a Purple Heart if he/she has been injured or killed while serving in the military. “Rich is always the go-to guy,” Smith said of his fellow veteran. “He will go out and sit in front of a store and collect donations, he will organize fundraisers … whenever I needed someone for Color Guard, Rich would always be there,” Smith said. Both Smith and Bruce find Young’s commitment inspiring. “If we could give half of what Richard has given of himself, we can only imagine the difference the League could make,” Bruce said.

Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com • Sunday, February 26, 2017

| EVERYDAY HEROES

CHUCK VEACH

Veach perseveres ... and gives back By OLIVIA MORRISSEY editorial@shawmedia.com His wartime experience is the one thing Chuck Veach thinks about every single day. From October 1968 to July 1970, Veach served in the Army in Vietnam. Each day in the field revealed more horrors of war. In addition to the constant fear of enemy attack, the soldiers in Veach’s platoon endured a lack of food and drinkable water, and monsoon seasons that left them soaking wet for months on end. “You didn’t have time to think about it,” Veach said. “You’re thinking about staying alive and not much else.” Veach focused on his duties, his fellow soldiers and survival above all else. After 10 months serving in Vietnam, Veach was called back to the U.S. for a tragedy close to home: His sister lost her life in a car accident. He said the gravity of the situation didn’t weigh on him until much later. “Here I was, getting blown out of a bunker two days before ... then the company gets that phone call with the news about my sister,” Veach said. “It makes you realize how precious life is.” Today, Veach still struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder and questions why he survived when so many of his peers lost their lives. According to a survey by the Veterans Administration, Veach is certainly not alone: Of the 3 million troops who served in Vietnam, more than 500,000 reported suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and its array of symptoms. “There were moments when we were being attacked and bullets were flying toward us ... the guy to the left of me is killed, the guy on the other side of me is seriously wounded. I’m seeing the same bullets, why did I survive?” Though his lifetime has been punctuated with tragedies, both on and off the battlefield, Veach chooses to view his perseverance through them as a blessing to be shared with others. He moved to Huntley in the mid-1970s and founded a landscaping company, CT Veach Landscaping and Construction, in 1984. He was a charter member of the Huntley Chamber of Commerce when it formed in 1986, and remains active in chamber events through-

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Chuck Veach of Huntley volunteers his time at Huntley High School, where he holds mock job interviews for junior and senior students.

The Veach file AGE: 68 VETERAN-RELATED ACTIVITIES: Active Huntley Chamber of Commerce member; volunteer at Huntley High School and Heineman Middle School FAMILY: Girlfriend Pamela, mother Mabel and sister Darlene QUOTABLE: “If the country needed me again, and I could, I would serve. You never stop being a soldier.” – Chuck Veach out the year. CT Veach Landscaping and Construction is a fixture in the community; landscaping equipment is part of community parades and Veach volunteers to sell T-shirts at the annual Turkey Testicle Festival. He also volunteers his time at Huntley High School, where he holds mock

job interviews for junior and senior students. A few times a year, Veach shares his experience serving in the Vietnam War with students at Heineman Middle School. He displays his Army fatigues, displays bullet shells, and shares photos of airstrikes, utility pieces, and the soldiers who served with him. “The kids are always amazed when I tell them the stories about how I once had only white bread and peanut butter to eat, or how there was no potable water available, so we had to drink the water from the rice paddies,” Veach said with a laugh. “But we just did what we had to do. We did what we had to do to survive.” Veach said the time spent talking about his war experiences is therapeutic for him; the students have responded with awe and respect, mailing him letters thanking him for his service and for the reminder of the costs that come with freedom.

“I remember one letter that really got to me and made me cry,” Veach said. “He wrote that he never thought about the fact that there were people that had to die for the freedom he has.” “My life makes me want to be better, to do better, for other people,” Veach said. “I feel like I’m blessed to be here.” Sunday Graham, executive director of the Huntley Area Chamber of Commerce, has known Veach since 2014, and describes him as big-hearted and funny, with a resiliency that inspires others. “I have so much respect for his service and what he achieved upon his return from Vietnam ... I cannot imagine the sacrifice he endured during Vietnam combat,” Graham said in an email nominating Veach as an Everyday Hero. “To return and be committed to his community and start his business, he is a role model for perseverance and for his love for Huntley.”

DICK HATTAN

By LINDSAY WEBER editorial@shawmedia.com

Sarah Nader - snader@shawmedia.com

Dick Hattan is a veteran who founded Voices of Veterans, a writer’s workshop for military veterans in McHenry County.

The Hattan file AGE: 70 VETERAN-RELATED ACTIVITIES: Co-Founder of Voices with Veterans, a writing group focused on veterans telling their stories; Past commander of Post 75 in Geneva, IL; Active member of the VFW FAMILY: wife, Karen; daughter, Elizabeth Simoni lives in Cary (married to Brandon Simoni); two grandchildren, Landon and Skylar QUOTABLE: “The goal is to reach out to the veterans that may have an interest in telling their story. There aren’t a lot of people that actually like to write, but we try to find them and help them get it out of their gut.” – Dick Hattan woven community where there are a lot of people willing to give their time and talent for the betterment of the community. If you’ve only lived here [McHenry County] you think that’s normal. I’ve lived many places and I

can tell you, it’s not.” Hattan is an ordained minister in the independent Catholic Church. He serves as a chaplain at a nursing home, meets with a small group of attendees in their homes once per month, as well as preaches in other outlets. He also is the director of development and marketing at Hearthstone Communities in Woodstock. Hattan said he tries to lead by example and invites veterans to join him at his speaking engagements, where he talks about his experiences in hopes of introducing them to, or bringing them back to, their faith. “I felt that God was absent in Vietnam,” Hattan said. “There was very little there [that] was religious or that reminded you of your past practice. You were really engaged in war. We had a small chapel on our camp and they had religious services every Sunday which I attended religiously to get a rest from the daily job of war that we were all attending to. Beyond that, it was really hard to find God.” Hattan said it’s difficult to get many

veterans to practice their faith. He continues to offer his assistance when the time is right, through faith and writing. “The goal is to reach out to the veterans that may have an interest in telling their story. There aren’t a lot of people that actually like to write, but we try to find them and help them get it out of their gut,” Hattan said. “We want to help them get it onto paper and deal with whatever they have. Whether it’s a moral injury or traumatic event; to be able to express it in this particular way. It’s a very good outlet.” Hattan encourages other community members to do their part to reach out to veterans by providing jobs and appropriate mental health services. You can make a difference even with a simple, “welcome home,” he said. “The first thing to do is welcome them home. The words ‘thank you for your service’ are trite and overused. I hate to hear it myself,” Hattan said. “We were not welcomed back from our service [in Vietnam], so we like to use ‘welcome home’.”

• Sunday, February 26, 2017

WOODSTOCK – Vietnam veteran and Woodstock resident Dick Hattan spent 17 months in the U.S. Army as a specialist 4th class. He served in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division at Phu Bai Combat Base. He had plans to join the seminary when he was drafted. Hattan found journaling was an outlet that helped him cope with stress as well as chronicle his experiences. He started Voices of Veterans with co-founder Mary Margaret Maule as a way for veterans to tell their stories. “The idea was to have veterans get together in a nonthreatening environment and learn how to tell their stories. Many veterans have not learned how to do that,” Hattan said. “Many [veterans] have kept their stories private and have had some mental health issues due to that.” Hattan and Maule, president of the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce, met through Leadership Greater McHenry County, both attending a session that focused on veterans care in McHenry County. Maule comes from a Navy family, and the two decided to join the board that was overseeing the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Grant, a federal grant for mental health and other services for veterans in Lake and McHenry counties. The two formed the Voices of Veterans writing group, which has met twice each month for the past four years. More than 20 men and women veterans of various ages, from World War II through the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, have participated. “Dick does what needs to be done quietly,” said Maule, who nominated Hattan as an Everyday Hero. “He speaks in the community about faith and military service and simple ways you can give back. He’s just a good guy. The community is blessed in a way that they are not aware of. So many people willing to stand up without need or want for fanfare.” Hattan moved to Woodstock only recently, commuting from St. Charles for the writer’s group after a full day voluntarily, often putting in 15-hour days. “People think the community happens on accident, but it doesn’t. It takes people like Dick,” Maule said. “McHenry County is a uniquely inter-

EVERYDAY HEROES | Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com

Vet helps others tell their stories

Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com • Sunday, February 26, 2017

| EVERYDAY HEROES

THOMAS MORRISSEY

Morrissey helps vets through TLS Veterans By HANNAH PROKOP hprokop@shawmedia.com When Thomas Morrissey was asked to speak with soldiers who had been wounded, he would always start the conversation with one fact: “You’re alive.” “Forget about why, just recognize you’re alive,” Morrissey told the wounded soldiers. “With or without a limb. With or without multiple lives. Whatever your situation, you’re alive.” A medically retired U.S. Army Special Forces sergeant major, Morrissey said he was able to keep positive and help boost the morale of other soldiers, even though he was a patient himself recovering from an ambush during his third combat tour in Afghanistan. The 63-year-old, who was 53 years old at the time of the shooting, was hit multiple times by an AK-47 in both legs, arms and his chest. It took exactly 20 surgeries and rehab over three years at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center and the Active Duty Rehabilitation Unit at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, both in Augusta, Georgia, before he was released. It was when he was recovering in Augusta that he was asked by hospital staff to talk to other wounded soldiers, he said. “I don’t have any particular emotional baggage to those experiences,” Morrissey said. “I’m very pragmatic in that, ‘Hey, this is what happens in war, and I volunteered to do all this, and I believed in what we were doing.” Morrissey said people wouldn’t know of his injuries just from looking at him. Although he didn’t have any amputations, he said he has “scars and holes all over.” Morrissey enlisted in the U.S. Army Special Forces in 1976. He spent his last 14 years with the Illinois National Guard as a true citizen/soldier. He was medically retired in 2009. In 2011, Morrissey was recognized by the Medal of Honor Foundation with the Courageous Spirit Award for his work with wounded veterans, which all started in Augusta, he said. Aside from helping boost morale of other veterans who were recovering while in Augusta, Morrissey worked with residents and the Fisher House Foundation to help raise funds and build a home for families of veterans to stay in while soldiers are in the hospital, Morrissey said.

Michelle LaVigne – For Shaw Media

Thomas Morrissey serves on the board as president of the Transitional Living Services Veterans corporation.

The Morrissey file AGE: 63 VETERAN-RELATED ACTIVITIES: President of TLS Veterans board of directors FAMILY: Wife, Suzanne Morrissey; three adult daughters QUOTABLE: “It’s my way of thanking, in the global sense, all those people who have helped me.” – Thomas Morrissey about his work with veterans He was honored again in 2012 with the Order of Saint Philip Neri Silver Order for demonstrating extraordinary performance and contributions to the U.S. Army Special Forces. By that time, he had started volunteering with McHenry-based Transitional Living Services Veterans, and today he serve as the board’s president. The organization works to provide support for homeless veterans and their families, and celebrated 20 years in the community in 2016. “I understand the view of the recip-

ient, because asking for help or being provided help can be very intimidating,” Morrissey said. “And you might recognize that for just anybody, it’s not just the veterans. But when you can’t do something for yourself or you can’t provide for your family, it’s very scary and certainly very humbling.” TLS requires that at least half of its 15 board members are veterans to remain sensitive to the people they work with, Morrissey said. Knowing that the organization is making a difference and the simple “thank you” and notes from veterans is what makes the work gratifying for him, Morrissey said. And although the Woodstock resident still works as vice president of sales with Hunter Douglas Inc., he still finds time to volunteer with TLS and speak at events. “It’s my way of thanking, in the global sense, all those people who have helped me,” Morrissey said. After running into medial personnel who were part of Morrissey’s first stabilization at a field hospital in Afghanistan, he said they were amazed

to see the condition he was in. He said he’s talked to occupation therapist classes and other medical groups who work in the military to show them the difference they can make. “Many times they don’t have closure, they don’t see the big picture,” Morrissey said. Jim O’Malley, who used to serve on the TLS board of directors with Morrissey, said he is a thoughtful and kind person concerned about veterans. “He’s always looking for ways to get funding and money to support the agency’s causes,” O’Malley said. Susan Kick had heard Morrissey speak at a Memorial Day service, and knows him through mutual friends. “We just wish we had more people like him,” Kick said. “And he’s somebody who has been through an ordeal and has served our country honorably, and he is reaching out and helping the veterans, which is just a very admirable thing for him to do.” Morrissey said that while he was honored and humbled to be appreciated for his work, “I don’t do this to be recognized. I do this to help.”

BUTCH BORCHARDT

By NATE LINHART

The Borchardt file

nlinhart@shawmedia.com

AGE: 67 VETERANS-RELATED ACTIVITIES: Borchardt is a Vietnam veteran who constantly supports other area veterans through displays, care packages and more. QUOTABLE: “It was an honor to serve my country. Our country called and we answered, and I was honored to do it.” – Butch Borchardt was an honor to serve my country. Our country called and we answered, and I was honored to do it.” After his service came to an end, he started volunteering for the McHenry County Chapter of VietNow, where he is currently a member and former president of the local chapter. “I got involved in VietNow because they’re all Vietnam vets, we have a lot in common and it’s just nice to talk to other Vietnam veterans who went through what you did,” Borchardt said.

After the success of last year’s display, Coltrin said Borchardt is organizing this year’s Memorial Day display as well. “With Memorial Day rapidly approaching, I’m excited to see how many veterans Butch will honor with this year’s project,” Coltrin said. Borchardt’s other volunteer efforts include helping pack 30 care packages for active-duty troops in Afghanistan and personally delivering them to the post office. He also participated in the salute to veterans at the 2016 McHenry County Fair and has an antique tractor that pulls the U.S. flag, military branch flags and POW/MIA flags so they can be properly displayed during local parades. “I got a tractor like the one I drove when I was 12, rebuilt it, got it running,” Borchardt said. “I drove it in the Memorial Day parade last year and in other local events.” Now retired, Borchardt previously worked various jobs around McHenry County, including as a farmer, factory worker and truck driver. He retired about six years ago.

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• Sunday, February 26, 2017

WOODSTOCK – Whenever a tribute, dedication or memorial for a veteran is held in McHenry County, it’s likely Butch Borchardt will be there. A Vietnam veteran, Borchardt has spent his post-Army years honoring his fellow veterans. “I give back to them Butch because they gave as Borchardt much as I did, and some gave more by paying the ultimate sacrifice,” said Borchardt, of unincorporated Woodstock. “People have what they have today because of veterans.” In 1970, Borchardt was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War. Borchardt served in Vietnam from 1970 to 1971, when he worked in a welding shop and helped repair vehicles during his two years of active duty. “It took a little while to get used to military life, but I wouldn’t trade those years for the world,” Borchardt said. “It

During his time with VietNow, the organization has created honorary plaques for family members of McHenry County servicemen who sacrificed their lives during the Vietnam War. The plaques are being given to the families of those servicemen, and Borchardt said he is still tracking down the last remaining family members who have yet to receive their plaques. In spring 2016, Borchardt also help set up a Memorial Day display in Woodstock that featured a collection of military uniforms from the various U.S. military branches. Included in the display were photographs, a soldier’s diary, boots, helmets, personal collectibles and other military equipment. “Butch stopped into my office, introduced himself and set out to explain his idea and its back story,” said Krista Coltrin, who is the Woodstock economic development coordinator. “As I recall, someone had asked him, ‘What is Memorial Day?’ That prompted further conversations with area veterans about resurrecting displays in storefront windows in conjunction with the annual Memorial Day parade.”

EVERYDAY HEROES | Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com

Vet honors others with Memorial Day display

Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com • Sunday, February 26, 2017

| EVERYDAY HEROES

LOREEN KELLER

MCC dean helps vets with education By LINDSAY WEBER editorial@shawmedia.com CRYSTAL LAKE – “She won’t take no for an answer. If someone says ‘no, you can’t do that’ or ‘there’s no money or space for that,’ she will prove them wrong. She searched the whole school looking for even a broom closet for us to start meeting in. If there’s a way, she’ll find it.” Don Curfman, co-adviser for Student Veterans of America McHenry County College chapter, said this of fellow co-adviser Loreen Keller. Curfman, as well as Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce President Mary Margaret Maule, nominated Keller as an Everyday Hero for her tireless efforts within the veterans community. The wife of a retired Air Force officer, Keller has her hands in several outreach programs. To her cohorts and colleagues, she is deemed an invaluable resource to the community and its veterans. The Crystal Lake resident is the interim Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at McHenry County College and involves herself heavily in student veterans affairs, acting as an informal program director to the Student Veterans of American, applying for grants to offer further services and resources for veterans, including books, laptops and an expanded Student Veterans Resource Center. “Veterans come out of a very rigorous and strict life of rank and order,” Keller said. “This changes dramatically in higher education. Those of us involved in higher education don’t behave this way. We don’t order students. We seek with students the best way to take the skills they have learned in the military and utilize them to further their educational and career success.” In April 2016, MCC was awarded a nearly $100,000 federal grant from the National Endowment for Humanities for use toward a three-year humanities-based course project called The Journey Home. The course focuses on the transition from military to civilian life in hopes of fostering a more healthy return from duty for veterans, and the preservation of oral and written narratives by veterans. Keller, the driving force behind NEH grant, and students last spring also were awarded the SVA Home Depot Foundation Grant in the amount of $10,000 to improve the Veterans Resource Center

Michelle LaVigne – For Shaw Media

Interim Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences Loreen Keller of Crystal Lake stands inside the entry of McHenry County College.

The Keller file AGE: 48 VETERAN-RELATED ACTIVITIES: Volunteer co-adviser for the Student Veterans of America; informal program director for the MCC Veterans Center; actively submits grant proposals to further resources for veterans, including the expansion of the Student Veterans Resource Center, laptop and book donations for student veterans, as well as curriculum development and employee training. Keller works with and encourages veterans to give back to the community through volunteer opportunities and is actively involved in the Patriot 5K and MCC Veterans Day. FAMILY: Husband Greg, retired lieutenant colonel, U.S. Air Force; three daughters: Mel, 19; Caroline, 17; Alison, 15 QUOTABLE: “They’re a very diverse group. We can’t treat them all the same. We need to understand where they come from, their background, their branch of service. This is the best approach for success.” – Loreen Keller about veterans

at MCC. What started as a closet-sized office in the college’s C Building has since tripled in size and offers student veterans access to five work stations, printing, coffee and snacks, and a textbook library. A military library also is present in the space thanks to yet another grant, the Joe’s Wish Foundation Library Grant. “The resource center has been a huge blessing for the students as a sanctuary and space,” Keller said. “We’ve seen it grow in attendance and we’ve

seen an increase in GPAs. We see student veterans becoming more engaged in the community. We had a student veteran come to MCC this fall because he heard how great our veterans center was.” Keller was instrumental in developing a concierge-type of service at MCC for student veterans. A certifying official connects them with their GI bill educational benefits, working directly with the VA. Academic advising also is offered specifically for student veterans. Grants and donor-funded resources

have been a major relief to those who have found their GI benefits falling short. “Textbooks and laptops don’t always come with your veteran benefits. We had a student veteran who returned from service with sand in his laptop that wasn’t going to come out and his GI bill didn’t cover its replacement,” Keller said. “These gifts are given to student veterans and, in exchange, we’ve developed a pay-it-forward relationship encouraging volunteerism. It’s a circle that we make sure we close to ensure veterans are supporting other veterans as well as the community that supports them.” Keller said she believes in a holistic approach when serving the nearly 200 student veterans who come through the doors of MCC each semester. “They’re a very diverse group. We can’t treat them all the same. We need to understand where they come from, their background, their branch of service. This is the best approach for success in their civilian life and careers,” Keller said. “Our student vets arrive at MCC at so many different stages and they all have their own personal and transition needs. We really try to customize and build a level of trust by having that initial conversation.”

JOY AAVANG

By BRITTANY KEEPERMAN bkeeperman@shawmedia.com

Sarah Nader - snader@shawmedia.com

Joy Aavang has compiled three books about veterans and donates proceeds to vets.

The Aavang file AGE: 87 VETERAN-RELATED ACTIVITIES: Compiled three books of local veterans’ stories titled, “Fly the Flag for Me: Life in the Military and on the Home Front.” FAMILY: Deceased husband, Irvin Aavang Jr.; adult children, Steven Aavang, Wayne Aavang, Barbara Aavang; eight grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren QUOTABLE: “I love the services. My grandfather was in it. The uncle I was raised with was in. My husband was in. My son was in the service. I have always been drawn to anything patriotic.” – Joy Aavang see the first book published, but it was so popular that two more followed. “By the time this came out, all the guys at the VFW knew about it and there were still a bunch of them that wanted to do their story,” Aavang said. “I knew some of them were disappointed they didn’t get in, so I

decided to do another book. So I did that and got that down and they were still asking.” But after three books, the labor of love had to come to an end, Aavang said. “By the time I got to that, I was having flashbacks to my own experience,” she said. “I had to stop.” Aavang’s grandparents raised her in the London area during World War II, in a danger area, and they often spent days and weeks going to and from air-raid shelters, which she detailed in a later book, “A Lost Adolescence: Surviving the Blitz.” Aavang came to Woodstock with her grandmother in the late 1940s to visit family without intending to stay. It was her plan to work for a while, move on to visit her biological mother in Canada, and then return to England. “And then, I met that hunk,” Aavang said, gesturing to an old photo album that sat on the table of her Woodstock home. Aavang – who was about 17 at the time – had landed a gig on the Square

working at the farm bureau, where she made some girlfriends who invited her out to the high school’s football game that night. Afterward, they went out to an ice-cream parlor. “The door opened and I just remember thinking, ‘Oh my god’ ” Aavang said. “To my amazement, he walked straight over to [my friends.] He knew all these girls. Apparently, he asked about me.” The two bumped into each other the following week while Aavang was waiting at another parlor for a ride home from work and Irv asked Aavang out on a date. They went out a few times and he proposed to her a week later. They were married for 45 years before he died. Aavang plans to continue to write, tell stories and give presentations. Patriotism and veterans stories are of particular importance, she said. “I love the services,” she said. “My grandfather was in it. The uncle I was raised with was in. My husband was in. My son was in the service. I have always been drawn to anything patriotic.”

• Sunday, February 26, 2017

WOODSTOCK – “Ask them to the flag for me – for those that didn’t come back.” Those were the words that inspired a trilogy of local veterans’ stories written by Joy Aavang, local author and Woodstock resident. Aavang has written numerous books, including the three collections of local veterans’ stories – a project encouraged by her late husband Irvin Aavang, a Marine Corps veteran. Aavang grew up in a patriotic home and experienced the London air-raids as a child living in England. She also gives presentations around the area and has won numerous awards for her work. The concept for her veterans’ collections began in the early 1990s. Her husband and a couple of his veteran friends had a daily ritual of meeting at the News Depot – a newsstand and coffee shop that closed its doors for good in 1996 – off the Woodstock Square for coffee, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. “I think if they wouldn’t have shown, they would’ve sent out a search party for them,” Aavang said. One day, her husband came home with a book, handed it to his wife and told her that one of the Marines wanted her to read it. It was about the battle of Iwo Jima. “I flipped through it and I noticed one of the pages was highlighted,” she said. “I was supposed to read that part first.” The story was ultimately about a young Marine wounded in the battle, and as it turned out that Marine was good friends with the Aavang family – Al Mansfield, who also worked part time at Woodstock High School. He was popular with the students, but Aavang wondered what they would think if they knew his story. “I said, ‘What would they think if they knew he served in Iwo?’” she said. “And my husband turned to me and said, ‘Well, you can do that.’ Next thing I know he is lining guys up down at the VFW to have their stories done.” Al Mansfield later asked Aavang to “Fly the flag for me. Not me personally, but for those that didn’t come back.” She later used that for the title of her series. Aavang’s husband never lived to

EVERYDAY HEROES | Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com

Local author tells veterans’ stories

Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com • Sunday, February 26, 2017

| EVERYDAY HEROES

EVERETT H. PRATT JR.

Helping vets a ‘passion’ for Pratt By CYNTHIA WOLF editorial@shawmedia.com PRAIRIE GROVE – From the time he was commissioned through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps in the thick of the Vietnam War in 1964, retired Lt. Gen. Everett H. Pratt Jr. never looked back. “I have no regrets at all,” said Pratt, seated in the living room of his Prairie Grove home with Joyce, his wife of 40 years, nearby. “If someone asked me what was the best assignment I ever had, I’d say all of them. I never had a bad assignment.” Pratt served three tours of duty as a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot in Vietnam, earning the Silver Star for gallantry in action. “I was flying an F4 Phantom II. There was an Army team on the ground in Laos. They were being shot at. I provided close air support,” he said, describing flying low over the battleground and strafing the enemy. “When I ran out of bullets, I flew over the battle site in an attempt to [draw fire] until the Army team was successfully extracted.” That was in late fall of 1969 or early 1970, he said, adding that his tours spanned from 1966 to 1967, 1969 to 1970 and later, in 1972, he flew missions into Vietnam from Thailand. Altogether, Pratt tallied more than 4,000 flight hours in F-4s, F-16s and T-38s. Like many of his peers, Pratt is unassuming and modest about his time in the military – during which, along with the Silver Star, he earned the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross with three oak leaf clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with 29 oak leaf clusters and an Air Force Commendation Medal, according to his biography on the U.S. Air Force’s website. Still, “flying over North Vietnam in general was exciting” and was about the closest he crept toward acknowledging his bravery during a recent interview. Also like many of his peers, Pratt, now 73, is pleased that today’s veterans generally are honored upon their return from tours of duty, regardless of politics. “Coming back through the airports, you’d see people protesting those of us who served as we were coming off our airplanes,” he recalled. “I’d just kind of ignore them. Everyone thanks all of our service men and women now, which is

Sarah Nader - snader@shawmedia.com

Retired Lt. Gen. Everett Pratt served three tours of duty as a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot in Vietnam, earning the Silver Star for gallantry in action.

The Pratt file AGE: 73 VETERAN-RELATED ACTIVITIES: TLS Veterans, Leave No Veteran Behind, U.S. Air Force Retiree Council, Disabled American Veterans FAMILY: Wife, Joyce; two sons, Tom and Stephen; one grandchild, Maeve QUOTABLE: “Helping veterans has always been a passion of mine. One, I am one … [and] I saw what happened to veterans coming home from Vietnam. Gladly, I also saw that change.” – Everett Pratt the right thing to do.” Also the right thing to do, in Pratt’s mind, is to continue to support his fellow veterans in any way he can. From the late 1990s until the early 2000s, Pratt was chairman of the U.S. Air Force

Retiree Council. Pratt retired from active duty in 1997, moved to Prairie Grove from Texas in 2002 and worked for Northrop Grumman until 2009. He is actively involved in a number of veterans-related agencies, including Chicago-based Leave No Veteran Behind, Disabled American Veterans and Hebron-based TLS Veterans, for which he completed in February a term as president of the board. “Veterans and the needs of veterans, I always felt like it was a passion of mine,” he said, noting that TLS’ work with homeless veterans is especially praiseworthy. “They’ve pretty much hit bottom when they’re homeless,” he said. “Helping them to be able to get back on their feet is really gratifying.” Pratt also is a trustee for the village of Prairie Grove and spent the last several years as a court-appointed special advocate for children who have endured abuse or neglect. He also is a member of

a panel that encourages those with firsttime, nonviolent felonies to complete a program allowing them to shed the conviction. The retired lieutenant general credited his family and primarily his wife, Joyce, with providing him the support he’s needed. “She’s my touchstone,” he said. “He has a very strong character, a strong belief system, and he follows through on his beliefs,” Joyce Pratt replied. “He’s a man of his word.” Pratt’s wife is hardly his only fan. He received multiple nominations for inclusion in Everyday Heroes. Among his nominators were Chuck Stevens, Bob Gray, Bill and Carol Buchta, Cameron Hubbard and Charles Ebann. “Ev believes in helping others,” Ebann wrote. “He gives freely of his time and often gives talks to local groups about assistance for our veterans … he deserves to be recognized as a local hero.”

Everyday Heroes| Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com

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For answers to your election questions and any other function of the County Clerk’s Office do not hesitate to call the office at 815-334-4242. A staff member will be happy to assist you or if you need to conduct business, in person, the office is located at the McHenry County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Room 107, Woodstock, Illinois.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER: Tuesday, February 28, 2017 – Consolidated Primary Election Tuesday, April 4, 2017 – Consolidated Election

Now through Tuesday, February 28th: Grace period registration & voting in all precincts and Administration Building, 667 Ware Rd., Room 104A Woodstock Now through Monday, February 27th: Early voting period Thursday, February 23rd: Last day to apply for a ballot by mail Friday, February 24: Saturday, February 25; and Monday, February 27: Nursing home voting period ELECTION UPDATE: Same day registration at precincts on Election Day For your convenience, some early voting sites will be open Saturdays and Sundays through Sunday February 26th! For the complete Election Calendar and Candidates guide, visit our website: www.co.mchenry.il.us/countyclerk

Please VOTE!

It’s your right. It’s your responsibility.

• Sunday, February 26, 2017

Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com • Sunday, February 26, 2017

McHenry County Clerk’s Ofﬁce

Attention Registered Voters...

Everyday Heroes| Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com

| Everyday Heroes

Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com • Sunday, February 26, 2017

| Everyday Heroes

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RON BYKOWSKI

By CYNTHIA WOLF editorial@shawmedia.com

Michelle LaVigne - For Shaw Media

Ron Bykowski of McHenry, Air Force veteran and co-founder of “Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive,” has played taps for approximately 1,116 services and funerals.

The Bykowski file AGE: 71 VETERAN-RELATED ACTIVITIES: Founder of McHenry’s “Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive’ event; member of Bugles Across America (has volunteered to perform taps at more than 1,100 ceremonies, patriotic events and military veterans’ funerals); American Legion and Polish Legion of American Veterans member; active in multiple McHenry-area, veteran-honoring events, causes. FAMILY: Wife, Linda; daughter and sonin-law, Amanda and Dave Geils; three grandchildren, Matthew, Gracie and Tim. QUOTABLE: “The spirit of the country was so much different [at the end of World War II] than it is now. It was a spirit of community. What that ‘Greatest Generation’ had done is something worth recognizing and keeping alive …” – Ron Bykowski

he and his fellow musicians not only boosted troop morale, but also entertained the public, fostering goodwill. “People just loved us. We’d sign

autographs,” he said, smiling at the recollection. “Music is such an international language.” A founder of the “Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive” event in McHenry, Bykowski is pleased to see the hundreds of residents who attend. The program honors those who served during World War II – whether in the military or on the homefront. “We’ve had as many as 600 people,” he said. “Probably the best one was when we honored people who had been married for 60 years or more. We’ve also had as many as 22 buglers [performing rolling taps], but it averages around 18.” Many are accustomed to seeing Bykowski in his white or blue American Legion Honor Guard uniform at events throughout the year. What they don’t see is equally impressive, McHenry native and U.S. Army veteran Gary Snell said. “There are people who know of Ron, and people who know Ron,” Snell said. “The people who know him know how active he is behind the scenes. Whenever he’s asked to help or to do anything, he’s one of the first to volunteer.” Kirk Booher of Logan Pass Capital nominated Bykowski to be profiled in

Everyday Heroes. “I have known Ron Bykowski for nearly 10 years and I can honestly say I have not known anyone who gives his time so generously to the community and our veterans,” Booher wrote. Bykowski has been a member of McHenry American Legion Post 491 for 51 years. He was the first commander of McHenry’s Polish Legion of American Veterans Post 188 in 1981, and remains a member. He’s been a member of the Rotary Club of McHenry since 1978, and is a McHenry Chamber of Commerce Frank E. Low Award winner. The McHenry Montini schools and Marian Central Catholic High School graduate is active in his Catholic parish, St. Mary’s of McHenry, as well as a member of the board of the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Rockford. In 2009, Marian named him a distinguished graduate, and in 2015, he was the McHenry Fiesta Days parade marshal. He served for 26 years as a member and chairman of the former NIMED Board of Directors for Centegra Health System. Bykowski and his wife, Linda, look forward to their 35th wedding anniversary in April. They have a daughter, a son-in-law and three grandchildren.

• Sunday, February 26, 2017

McHENRY – The tune is just 24 notes long. But oh, how those notes – sounded well and purely – stir anyone within earshot. As those who’ve attended patriotic ceremonies in McHenry can attest, Ron Bykowski’s rendition of taps is as superb as it comes. Known for fostering a “Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive” event at Veterans Memorial Park that’s included multiple buglers playing taps each August since 2010, Bykowski has played the trumpet ever since his parents bought him “an old, beat up, used horn” in fourth grade. From 1965 to 1975, he played his way throughout Europe as a member of the 539th U.S. Air Force Band and the 566th U.S. Air Force Air National Guard Band. As a veteran, he’s donated his talent and time for countless ceremonies. As of January, Bykowski, now 71, had tallied 1,116 performances of taps at patriotic events and graveside ceremonies for fallen veterans – the first of which he completed as a high school sophomore. Today, the McHenry real estate investor is part of a network of buglers called Bugles Across America. Members monitor an online request site and volunteer for the graveside duty when proximity and schedules allow. Bykowski considers it an honor and a privilege. “There are some cemeteries that have this great echo quality,” he said. “You play, and you hear that echo coming back as you play the last note, the last honor to that deceased veteran; it echoes in the distance and quickly fades away. But it forever vibrates in the hearts of everyone in attendance. “I’ve seen grown men cry because there’s such emotion attached to that.” Not all of the music Bykowski plays is melancholy. Marches and more were part of his active-duty repertoire. “I do these programs in schools on Veterans Days,” Bykowski said. “We go into a classroom and sit and each tell the students what we’ve done. This guy was a cook or that one drove a tank … “I tell the kids ‘I was in the Air Force and guess what I did?’ They guess ‘You were a pilot’ or ‘You were a mechanic’ or ‘You fixed airplanes.’ I pull out my trumpet and say ‘I played in the band,’ and the kids’ eyes light up.” Performing in the Air Force bands was great, Bykowski said, noting that

EVERYDAY HEROES | Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com

Vet keeps ‘Spirit’ alive across country

Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com • Sunday, February 26, 2017

| EVERYDAY HEROES

GEORGE BRAUN

Vet’s commitment ‘difficult to duplicate’ By OLIVIA MORRISSEY editorial@shawmedia.com Before George Braun was deployed to Vietnam, he couldn’t point out the tumultuous country on a map. As a student at San Diego State University, Braun spent summers training in boot camp in Quantico, Virginia. After graduating with a degree in teaching, Braun was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps and soon began flight training. “Being a fighter pilot was a natural ability and talent I never knew I had,” Braun said. “I always found it interesting [before the war], but I didn’t think I would do it.” In total, Braun flew more than 240 combat missions. By the time he returned home after 18 months of active duty, the number of U.S. troops in Vietnam had peaked at 543,000, and anti-war sentiment back home grew stronger. Anti-war protests, riots and teach-ins rocked the country and challenged the service of the troops arriving home. Opponents of the war argued that civilians, not enemy combatants, were the primary victims and that the U.S. was supporting a corrupt dictatorship. “I couldn’t believe it when I came home to California that year, the protests, the anger,” Braun said. “Now I understand that most people did not have a complete understanding of the George Braun of Johnsburg is a 35-year vet who gives back by assisting other veterans. war and the reasons behind it.” As a senior officer, Braun had a Club, and was a founding member of higher-level understanding of the the Johnsburg VFW. He remains an military activity and response. Still, it The Braun file active member in all three. Braun is an took his own historical research years integral part of the annual Red, White later to come to a full understanding of AGE: 74 and Blue Communities Memorial Day the Vietnam War and the reasons that VETERAN-RELATED ACTIVITIES: parade, which he coordinates, condrove its controversial outcomes. Founding member of the Johnsburg VFW; ducts, and calls in a favor from some “There’s so many facts to put togethcoordinator and conductor of annual of his aviation contacts to fly over er, it’s hard for anyone to understand Memorial Day parade in Johnsburg; the parade. Braun also serves as the the big picture of the Vietnam War,” he participates in a program hosted by founder and executive director of Dutch said. McHenry High School District 156 that Creek Channels Corporation, a nonAfter completing his tour of duty, invites veterans to share their stories profit focused on preserving the aquatic Braun began flying as a commercial with students on Veterans Day; in 2016, environment of the Dutch Creek off the pilot for United Airlines, while mainthe account of his wartime experience Fox River. taining a parallel career in the Marine was recorded and sent to the Library of “I have had the privilege and Corps Reserves based at Naval Air Congress for archive purposes. opportunity to have known George for Station Glenview. From 1985 to 1991, FAMILY: Wife, Cathy; sons, Ahren and more than 20 years,” Ed Hettermann, he served as vice president and board Derrick a carpenter/carpentry estimator for member of the Marine Corps Reserve R&D Thiel, Inc. and Johnsburg village Officer Association in Alexandria, QUOTABLE: “The whole community of president, said in an email. “I nominatVirginia. It was in 1992 that Braun, wife Johnsburg is very red, white and blue. ed George for this recognition because Cathy, and sons Ahren and Derrick Everyone wants to help each other.” – of his compassion to help veterans and moved to Johnsburg. Avid boaters, the George Braun his community, and his commitment Brauns wanted to be closer to a body of to advance patriotism and educate the water, and found a home that backed up volved in the community. He joined the importance of it.” to the Chain O’ Lakes. Johnsburg Community Club and Lions Every year on Memorial Day, Braun Braun wasted no time getting in-

Photo provided

participates in a program hosted by McHenry High School, in which students attend a school day history lesson from local veterans. The students can ask questions and hear the personal accounts of the history they have only read about in textbooks. Last year, Braun recounted his experiences in a recorded interview with a small group of students, and his personal piece of history was sent to the Library of Congress to be archived. “I’ve always had good mentors in my life, so I wanted to give something back,” Braun said. “It’s not work for me, it just comes naturally.” Following his innate abilities and passions has sent Braun soaring over battlefields and to another kind of service within the Johnsburg community. His presence is felt in every aspect, Hettermann said. “His commitment to veterans and veteran programs and functions in our Johnsburg community would be difficult to duplicate,” he said.

HELEN WHITE

By BRITTANY KEEPERMAN bkeeperman@shawmedia.com

See WHITE, page 24

Michelle LaVigne - For Shaw Media

Helen White stands inside her garage among some of the donated items for veterans. After seeing a newspaper article about the idea, White started the Veterans Housing Starter Kit Program with the Lions Club of Sun City Huntley and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary.

“Thank You for your service” just doesn’t say enough.

McHenry County Recorder’s Ofﬁce Joseph J. Tirio - County Recorder (815) 334-4110 | McHenryRecorder.org Recorders@co.mchenry.il.us

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The McHenry County Recorder’s ofﬁce joins hundreds of businesses across the country in thanking our military Veterans for their service by providing Honor Rewards. Local businesses participating in Honor Rewards provide discounts and other incentives to honorably discharged Veterans who have registered their DD-214 with the McHenry County Recorder’s Ofﬁce. There is no charge to be a part of Honor Rewards. For more information, including how to participate, visit our website McHenryRecorder.org

• Sunday, February 26, 2017

HUNTLEY – Helen White wants to help give veterans a fresh start. White has been collecting items for veterans for the past year, but the project took off as part of an idea that White pitched to the Sun City-Huntley Lions Club at the beginning of 2016. Inspired by an article she had read about another Lions Club that was doing something similar, White decided to get involved in the project, which involved creating housing “starter kits” for veterans returning home, she said. Items that were needed included household items such as dishes, paper products and small appliances. The project took off and received a lot of positive feedback. “We didn’t really know what to expect,” White said. “But we got lots and lots of stuff. Since then, we’ve added in clothes for men and linens and towels.” White’s husband is a veteran, as well as many other people in her family, including her brother, a Marine Corps veteran, and many of his children. “I read about veterans all the time,” she said. “How can we do this to them? They gave up everything. Then

EVERYDAY HEROES | Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com

Huntley woman collects items for vets

Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com • Sunday, February 26, 2017

| EVERYDAY HEROES

24 • WHITE Continued from page 23 they come home and just get lost.” White primarily works with two organizations, including TLS Veterans in McHenry and the James Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago. The centers offer housing support and transitional living assistance to veterans in need. “In McHenry, they place about 125 vets a year into housing,” White said. “In Chicago, they place between 500 and 700. So they are desperately in need.” White stores most of the donated items in her Huntley home and works with volunteers and agencies to coordinate drop-offs and pickups, she said. ‘People have been very generous,” she said. “We cleared out three-quarters of the garage yesterday and by the time [the driver] left, he could only see out of his side mirrors the car was so loaded.” The biggest reward for White is seeing how kind people can be and participating in volunteerism, she said. “The best thing is seeing the gen-

The White file AGE: 73 VETERAN-RELATED ACTIVITIES: Collects household items and clothing for veterans with the Sun City-Huntley Lions Club FAMILY: Son, Michael; daughter-in-law, Carri; two grandsons, Brady and Bryce QUOTABLE: “’People have been very generous,” she said. “We cleared out three-quarters of the garage yesterday and by the time [the driver] left, he could only see out of his side mirrors the car was so loaded.” – Helen White erosity of the people, neighbors and people from different communities and everybody is so willing to help,” she said. “I have to laugh because I thank them and they say, ‘No, thank you for being able to help,’ ” The knowledge that what she is doing might make a difference in someone’s life is also inspiring, she said. “That’s what I get out of it,” she said. “Knowing that maybe somebody has a chance to get a fresh start. Getting a place to live and making it work.”

DO YOU QUALIFY? Ask Yourself... • Do you live in a home that you own in McHenry County? (age not important) • Have you put an addition on your home in the past 4 years? • Are you over age 65 and living in a home that you own? • Are you a homeowner age 65+ with an income of less than $55,000? • Are you a disabled Veteran or are otherwide disabled and a homeowner?

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If you are any of these people, then you may qualify for property tax relief!

When you pay your real estate tax bill, you want to know that you are paying a fair and equitable portion for public services that you receive. We try hard to make that happen by striving for a correct assessment of your property. We also want to make sure you take advantage of the property tax relief that may be available to you. Check your tax bill.

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If you don’t think you are getting your exemptions, give us a call!

McHENRY COUNTY ASSESSMENT’S OFFICE

815-334-4290

www.co.mchenry.il.us (Click Departments / Click Assessments)

One of the most important resources any company has is its employees, those people who concentrate their efforts and abilities and strive to make their company successful. We are very fortunate to have many such employees at Aptar Cary and McHenry. Each year, through our Quality Improvement Process, Aptar seeks to recognize employees at each of our three McHenry County facilities for special effort, dedication, and achievements. A great many employees are nominated throughout the year to be recognized for this special award and we are proud to have such dedicated talent and loyal employees on the Aptar team. This year, we are honoring three employees, one from each of our facilities, as Employee(s) of the Year!

Tina Kamp

These employees, selected by their peers, are the Aptar recipients of this award for the extraordinary qualities they possess and have demonstrated over the year! Our congratulations to the EOY Winners for the year 2016!

Our congratulations to the winners for the year 2016!

1160 N. Silver Lake Rd. • Cary, Illinois 60013

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Bill Alwardt

Josh Newman

RICH WALKOWIAK

By BRITTANY KEEPERMAN bkeeperman@shawmedia.com

• Sunday, February 26, 2017

CRYSTAL LAKE – Rich Walkowiak, director of operations at JA Frate in Crystal Lake, served in the Marine Corps from 1984 to 1988. He now continues to give back to the community through his work at the shipping company and in his personal life through volunteerism and mentorship programs with local veterans. Walkowiak enlisted in the Marines after hearing about the Beirut bombing that killed 241 U.S. service personnel at a Marine Compound on Oct. 23 1983. He had just graduated from Crystal Lake South High School. He said it was a patriotic move for him – and looking back, he wished he had stayed in longer. “You just felt like you were missing something when you weren’t at home. Family, friends, what was going on,” he said. “But hindsight being 20/20, I’d have stayed in. I’d have been retired by now.” In his current position at the shipping company, the former Marine tries to bring more veterans into the company, he said. Walkowiak works with the Marines for Life program in Chicago that allows him to connect with recently discharged Marines who are looking for work. “I can’t say I hire as many as I can but I prefer to hire veterans if they are getting out,” he said. “I remember when I got out. It’s a change.” Being in the service doesn’t come without its challenges. He struggled transitioning back to civilian life after his four years were up. It became a matter of relearning social norms. “Leadership style in the Marine Corps is much different than the leadership style in a company,” he said. “In the Marines, you say, ‘Go get that done.’ People don’t respond well in a company when you point a finger and say, ‘Go get that done.’ “ He said he read a book written by a former officer and that helped him, but it’s more difficult for those who have been in the service for much longer. He has an employee who was in for over a decade who still struggles with the military mindset, Walkowiak said. “I call him my right-hand man,” he sad. “I’ve seen him struggle and I tell him I know what you’re thinking, what you want done. But you’ve got to sugarcoat it a little bit.”

EVERYDAY HEROES | Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com

Vet served in Marines, now serves veterans

Michelle LaVigne - For Shaw Media

Marine veteran Rich Walkowiak stands in front of the 53-foot memorial trailer from JA Frate, where Walkowiak works as an operations manager. His employment with JA Frate has lent itself to a lot of the work he does with veterans in the community.

The Walkowiak file AGE: 52 VETERAN-RELATED ACTIVITIES: Works with Operation Support Our Troops America and other organizations throughout McHenry County; director of operations at JA Frate, he is the go-to person for any nonprofit request. FAMILY: Wife: Kris; son:, Colton QUOTABLE: “There are just a few people that are trying to do things, when the masses should be doing things. I am sure there aren’t too many people that don’t know someone affected by some of this stuff.” – Rich Walkowiak JA Frate is well known in McHenry County for its memorial trailers, a tradition that began in 2004 to honor

Lance Cpl. Jonathan Collins, 19, of Crystal Lake, who was killed in enemy action in Iraq. The company dedicated a trailer in his memory. Walkowiak was a driver at the time and requested to drive it, since he was a former Marine as well. The tradition lived on in 2010 when the company dedicated a second trailer to honor six McHenry County service personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq: Sgt. Christopher Antonik, Spec. 4 Collier Barcus, Lance Cpl. Jonathon Collins, Lance Cpl. Ryan Cummings, Sgt. Jason McLeod, and Cpl. Keith Nurnberg. “We get a lot of requests to have that at events, you know, if they are troop-inspired events,” he said. “People like to see it. The families are all still out here. It’s in the Crystal Lake parade every year.” JA Frate is considering adding a third memorial trailer to its fleet, in the theme of the Vietnam wall, where resi-

dents can submit names of their loved ones to be placed into the design of the memorial wall trailer, Walkowiak said. The company also works with local Boy Scout troops and “Operation Support our Troops America” by shipping supplies to soldiers. “The Boy Scouts do a drive and want to ship it overseas and it’s not that simple,” he said. “So we have them bring it to us and we put it in with our stuff and take it down. We work with schools and companies and gather it that way.” Co-worker Jill Disnmore nominated Walkowiak for the award. “His commitment and loyalty to serve drives him every day,” she said. “He is the go-to person at JA for any request from a nonprofit needing to transport items. ... I know there are so many more things he does behind the scenes, but when I think of Everyday Heroes, Rich Walkowiak is a walking example in our community.”

Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com • Sunday, February 26, 2017

| EVERYDAY HEROES

RAYMOND ANDRESEN

After 3 tours, McHenry Marine to retire By LINDSAY WEBER editorial@shawmedia.com If you are in the Army, you’re a soldier; the Navy, a sailor; the Air Force, an airman. If you are in the Marine Corps, you’re a Marine. That’s it. For Gunnery Sgt. Raymond Andresen, Marine Aviation Logistics, 29th Squadron, that was all he needed to know. “You either want to be the best, or you don’t,” Andresen said. “That’s it. Go big, or go home.” Referred to as a “gunny” by his brothers in arms, Andresen works on aviation support equipment and comes from a long line of Marines. Joining this branch of the military was an obvious choice for him. “My grandpa was in the Marines during WWII. My uncle in Vietnam. My cousin is currently in the Marine Corps,” Andresen said. “I was 22, and I was bored, so my uncle took me to the recruiting office. I signed up on Dec. 19 and left for boot camp on Dec. 29.” Since then, Andresen has seen two tours in Afghanistan, one in Iraq and 19 countries. “I wanted to go,” Andresen said. “Who joins the military to sit in the United States? Go see the world. It’s free. Living out of a bag is exciting.” Excitement aside, Andresen is well aware of the commitment and sacrifice that comes with joining and does not take that lightly. When asked why he serves, the answer came quickly and adamantly. “Somebody has got to stand up and do it. Why not me?” Andresen said. “After you get through boot camp, you are held to a certain standard that most people aren’t held to. Not only do I have to be proficient at my job, I have to stay physically fit. I can be sent to some other country tomorrow wearing 100 pounds worth of gear expected to take care of business. I have to make decisions that affect other Marines and their family. If I decide to send them somewhere, I’m affecting their life.” In December, Andresen, currently stationed at the Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina, celebrated his 19th year as a Marine. He is set to retire this September, at which point he will join his wife and two children, whom he currently sees four to five

Photo provided

Raymond J. Andresen of McHenry has been an active-duty Marine for 19 years, serving in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan,

The Andresen file AGE: 42 FAMILY: Wife, Ingrid; kids, James, 8, Samantha, 10 QUOTABLE: “Somebody has got to stand up and do it. Why not me?” – Raymond Andresen days per month, at home in McHenry. That includes his mother and Everyday Hero nominator, Bonnie Andresen, who said she is proud of her son for the commitment and sac-

rifices he has made so willingly for his country. “All these years probably haven’t been as hard on him as they were on me,” Bonnie Andresen joked. “He was ready to serve and risk it all for his country. As a mom, that’s not easy to hear. He’s my only son, so I just thank God he came home from all three conflicts he served in.” Andresen said she looks forward to having her son home, especially for the effect it will have on her grandchildren. Andresen said he plans to spend more time with his family when he returns home and go on some family

vacations. In his civilian life, he will work in hydro excavating for the very same person he worked for before joining the military. After spending about half of his life in the Marines, Andresen is unsure of what the adjustment period will be like. But he is sure what he will miss most. “The Marines. I won’t miss all of the day-to-day crap, but I’ll miss the Marines that you go out there with and get the job done,” Andresen said. “When I get back, I’ll just go to work, spend time with my family and hang out with other veterans and talk about the good times.”

CHRIS CHRISTENSEN

By LINDSAY WEBER editorial@shawmedia.com

• Sunday, February 26, 2017

Chris Christensen wasn’t sure he was a good or bad kid growing up. He just thought himself to be directionless. The 1993 McHenry East Campus graduate said he found direction in the Army, to which he said he owes his professional success. “I went into the Army and I saw real structure,” Christensen said. “I grew up a lot. I was able to see the world – how other people lived. I found out who I was. I still lean on what I learned in the military. I understand what hard work is and what it means to go without.” Christensen was an Army specialist serving as a combat engineer stationed in Korea and then at Fort Polk, Louisiana, during his three years of service. He said that while his friends were going off to college, he was heading to boot camp. “I was 18 years old and Mom and Dad weren’t around anymore, and I was with ‘real adults’ there [at boot camp],” Christensen said. “I remember the first time I got sick, I didn’t know what to do. All of my friends were leaving for college and I was leaving for the Army, and I wouldn’t change that for the world.” Christensen served in the Bosnian War, which he said had a strong impact on him and drove him to stand up and lead to make things better. “Serving in Bosnia made me extremely grateful that I live in the United States,” Christensen said. “You haven’t seen the level of poor that you see in Bosnia and when you pass mass graves, it changes you.” Realizing that if things needed to get done, someone needs to stand up and get them done. Christensen found himself wanting to lead rather than follow. The Cary resident now channels much of his time and energy giving back to and bettering the county that he has always called home. Christensen is a vice president with Neis Insurance. He serves on the McHenry County Board, is founder of the Kiwanis Santa Run for Kids in Crystal Lake, and dons his Buddy the Elf costume along with his father, Andrew, who dresses as Santa Claus for Big Brothers Big Sisters of McHenry County, WINGS

EVERYDAY HEROES | Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com

Vet owes professional success to Army

Michelle LaVigne - For Shaw Media

Army veteran Chris Christensen is active with volunteer efforts in McHenry County.

The Christensen file AGE: 41 FAMILY: Wife, Renee, and children, Samantha, 12 and Drew, 7 QUOTABLE: “If you don’t try to make things better, you can’t complain when they get worse.” – Chris Christensen and Sage YMCA. “Sometimes we bring candy canes or presents. I’ve swam in my costume, done Pilates in my costume. It’s a lot of fun,” Christensen said. Crystal Lake Chamber of Com-

merce President Mary Margaret Maule nominated Christensen as an everyday hero because she said he is someone she greatly admires and helps the community out in unique ways. “He believes if you want to have a great community, you need to do your part,” Maule said. “He is an active member of the community, modeling the way for his children. He is one of the founding members of the Crystal Lake Young Professionals and is very active in several nonprofits. It’s just part of who he is. He gives back.” Maule said she appreciates Christensen’s giving spirit and the impact

his hard work has on the community. Christensen said he learned many great values growing up in McHenry County and his goal is to make it a better place to live. He encourages others who see change and want change to step up and do it. Don’t wait for it to come. “If you don’t try to make things better, you can’t complain when they get worse,” Christensen said. “You’re in charge of your own destiny. Mistakes are going to happen, but you learn from them and move forward. I’m always going to step up and lead and do the best I know how for McHenry County.”

Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com • Sunday, February 26, 2017

| EVERYDAY HEROES

JOE McLACHLAN

‘Transplant’ Harvard resident gives back By SARAH STRZALKA editorial@nwherald.com HARVARD – He may have started as what he calls a “transplant” to Harvard, but Joe McLachlan has become the face of the city’s support for veterans and their families. He was born in Iowa but raised in Deerfield, and before his mother remarried and moved to Harvard, McLachlan probably couldn’t have pointed it out on a map. “I ended up falling in love with her home, and the town and the people,” he said. “My connection to Harvard was as a transplant. I wasn’t family with the people, but their kindness drew me to the town.” McLachlan was in the Marine Corps from 1988 until 1995. His unit was activated for Desert Storm in 1991, serving in the liberation of Kuwait and the defense of Saudi Arabia. When he came home, he came home to Harvard, where he and his wife have stayed since. Out of curiosity and looking for camaraderie, along with prompting from the then-mayor, McLachlan joined the American Legion Post No. 265. He now serves as its senior vice commander. Jim Schuld, who nominated McLachlan as an Everyday Hero, said McLachlan has become instrumental in many veteran fundraising services in Harvard. “Everything Joe does, you can point at recipients and see the evidence of his work,” Schuld said. Not only does McLachlan back veterans, but as a Spanish teacher at Richmond-Burton Community High School, he also supports students who want to join the military, Schuld said. “He’s outgoing, fun and has a great sense of humor and a big heart,” Schuld said. “He’s genuine and talented beyond belief. He’s a guy you never forget and you’re glad you met him.” McLachlan is involved in American Legion activities such as marching in parades, Memorial Day commemorations, participation in Veterans Day ceremonies, and Flag Day observances. As part of the Legion, he also organizes a scholarship golf outing at Beaver Creek Golf Course in Capron to benefit Harvard High School students. And what’s more, Schuld said Mc-

Michelle LaVigne - For Shaw Media

Through his efforts with the American Legion to raise money on Poppy Day, Joe McLachlan says he keeps good will going. “I’m only trying to carry on the mission I’ve seen others doing. Help veterans and help kids.”

The McLachlan file AGE: 52 VETERAN-RELATED ACTIVITIES: Senior vice commander of the Harvard American Legion Post No. 265. FAMILY: Wife, Lisa, and children, Jennifer, John and Paige QUOTABLE: “Semper fidelis. Always faithful.” – Joe McLachlan Lachlan has gone above and beyond in other programs, including Toys for Tots. Nearly every weekend in December, McLachlan can be found out-

side the Harvard Walmart seeking donations. At Richmond-Burton, McLachlan coordinates a care package for a troops program called Operation RB, which sends items to deployed alumni. McLachlan said he does the work because he sees a need for someone to step up and complete the missions. “Because without the American Legion, the VFW or the Marine Corps League, without sending care packages, there would be a void,” he said. “It’s something I believe is very necessary to care for our veterans and their families. Not just the veterans themselves, but their families.” But he’s humble, saying he’s most-

ly on the fundraising end rather than being the man on the street. “I do stuff that couldn’t be tied together under one thought, but is more a mixture of services that I’ve learned to do from the mentors I’ve been taught by,” he said. McLachlan said he would gladly stop sending care packages – if there were no troops deployed. He would gladly stop collecting toys for children – if there were no kids who needed them. “I’d gladly be put out of a job if I didn’t have to do it, but I find that there’s a need for it and I’m willing,” he said. “It’s become who I am. I don’t think I was born that way, but I think I’ve become that way.”

RANDY GRANATH

By SARAH STRZALKA editorial@nwherald.com

• Sunday, February 26, 2017

FOX RIVER GROVE – His son’s combined five deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan lit a fire in Randy Granath. Although he is a veteran himself having toured Vietnam from 1967 to 1968, hearing from Kyle that soldiers needed things like razor blades and toiletries was a motivation. So Veterans Network Committee of Northern Illinois was born. Tom Hedrick nominated Granath as an Everyday Hero, but said Granath’s own time in the service isn’t why. “I don’t know what Randy did in the war,” Hedrick said. “[That’s] not what makes him a hero. It’s what he has done relatively late in life to give back to the community and the vets.” Hedrick’s son-in-law was killed in Afghanistan in November 2010, and the following year his daughter started a trick-or-treat for the troops program while in grade school. The need for funding, with each box costing about $17 to ship, sent him to various veterans group meetings, where he often would run into Granath. Hedrick said he even ran into Granath at a movie theater, where Granath was promoting one of Veterans Network Committee’s programs, serving as an Honor Flight hub. Honor Flight takes veterans – at no cost to them – on a three-day trip to see memorials in Washington, D.C. The number of veterans on the trip has grown year after year. Four made the trek through Veterans Network Committee in 2010. In 2016, 44 veterans went, including 103-year-old World War II veteran Joseph Slavik of La Grange Park. Hedrick said he has watched the Honor Flight program flourish under Granath and Granath’s wife, Pattie, who also has put in countless hours. “I feel Randy and his wife Pattie deserve some recognition for being there to allow many of these vets a chance to share memories and gain a sense of peace,” Hedrick said. After being on an Honor Flight as a group leader, Hedrick said he saw firsthand how emotional of an experience it is for the veterans. “Their families often find out

EVERYDAY HEROES | Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com

Granath helps make Honor Flight soar

Michelle LaVigne – For Shaw Media

Randy Granath of Fox River Grove stands among a display of the items he procures to send along to McHenry County troops overseas, a service he started up after learning his son wasn’t receiving packages during his tours in Afghanistan.

The Granath file AGE: 70 VETERAN-RELATED ACTIVITIES: Founder of Veterans Network Committee, serving service members of Illinois FAMILY: Wife of 10 years, Pattie; two daughters and two sons QUOTABLE: “Veterans helping other veterans.” – Randy Granath more during and just after the trip than they learned in the last 30

years,” he said. “It is an amazing experience, and it just simply would not happen without [the Granaths’] efforts.” Another Veterans Network Committee program is the Field of Honor, a tribute to members of the military from Illinois who died in Iraq and Afghanistan. More than 300 flags, including at Lake Julian in Cary over Memorial Day, are placed with a display of the name, age, hometown, rank and death for the fallen men and women. Granath, who lives in Fox River Grove, said his group “picks up the

slack” and accomplishes things that other veterans’ groups are unable to do. “We’re a local veterans organization concerned about our community and the guys from Illinois,” he said. “I think it’s important that people in the community know that when they make donations, that it stays within the community.” People who donate to national organizations often don’t know where that money ends up going, he said. “All of our donations, all of our money, all our funds, are used for service members from Illinois.”

Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com • Sunday, February 26, 2017

| EVERYDAY HEROES

ED BECKSTROM

Vet offers budgeting, finance workshops By BRITTANY KEEPERMAN bkeeperman@shawmedia.com CRYSTAL LAKE – It can be difficult for returning veterans to get their finances in order after coming home from deployment, but Crystal Lake resident Ed Beckstrom does all he can to help. Beckstrom, a U.S. Army veteran, works as an education coordinator at Woodstock-based Consumer Credit Counseling of Northern Illinois and provides veterans with the resources needed to get their finances and budgets in order, which can be a difficult part of the transition back into civilian life, he said. “Some have post-traumatic stress and some just have a different perspective,” he said. “A thing that is most challenging for people to understand is that though some individuals might want to help, they don’t know what language to use.” Beckstrom served as an officer in Army intelligence from 1964 to 1967 and did not see combat. He didn’t have much trouble transitioning back into civilian life himself, he said. But the military mindset can’t be shaken off easily, so Beckstrom understands his clients, he said. “It’s that terminology. The history. It’s that way of seeing the world,” he said. “It’s what you ingrain in yourself that stays with you when you’re in the military, and I am able to use that. I am very comfortable working with veterans and really feel strongly about what they do and the sacrifices that they make.” Beckstrom provides counseling services to veterans and teaches budget and finance workshops. He works with local organizations such as TLS Veterans, the Veterans Assistance Commission of McHenry and Lake County and the Lovell Center in North Chicago. “A lot of veterans don’t want to feel like they are being helped or aided,” he said. “They may be in need, but you want to approach it in such a way where we sit down and say let’s talk. Here are some ideas I have. … Veterans often have a very strong sense of independence and that can get in the way of them being open to some things people may offer them.” The financial aspect is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to settling back into civilian life for the

Sarah Nader - snader@shawmedia.com

Veteran Edward Beckstrom of Crystal Lake works at Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Northern Illinois in Woodstock.

The Beckstrom file AGE: 74 VETERAN-RELATED ACTIVITIES: Provides counseling services to veterans and teaches budget and finance workshops. Also works with local organizations such as TLS Veterans, the Veterans Assistance Commission of McHenry and Lake County and the Lovell Center in North Chicago. FAMILY: Wife, Karen Beckstrom; children, Christopher, Sarah, Michael and Matt QUOTABLE: “It’s that way of seeing the world. It’s what you ingrain in yourself that stays with you when you’re in the military and I am able to use that. I am very comfortable working with veterans and really feel strongly about what they do and the sacrifices that they make.” – Ed Beckstrom men and women of the armed forces, particularly for those who come back and struggle with their mental health, Beckstrom said. Consumer Credit Counseling

is partially funded by the county’s Mental Health Board. It was started with the intent to provide financial services to people who had mental and emotional difficulties, Beckstrom

added. “We look at the budget side of things and work with those organizations out there who deal with these other issues that may be there,” he said. “My focus is helping them work through financial struggles, whether that be a budget, debt management, working through bankruptcy or if there is a housing issue, working on housing counseling or working through a mortgage.” In 2017, Beckstrom wants to continue his work and constantly work to expand services, he said. “The goals I have are to maintain the integrity and reliability of the organization and expand as much as I can,” he said. “I am aware there is more that can be done and I have to do that.”

RAY RUDDEN

By BRITTANY KEEPERMAN bkeeperman@shawmedia.com

• Sunday, February 26, 2017

CRYSTAL LAKE – It’s not what happened in the past, it’s what’s in the here and now that Ray Rudden wants people to focus on. Rudden, a Crystal Lake resident and U.S. Army veteran, works to educate people about the problems that veterans have when they return to civilian life after working in the service, which include facing issues such as mental illness, homelessness and unemployment. Rudden himself made a career out of the military, serving a little more than 20 years including tours during the Korean and Vietnam wars. “My biggest concern is trying to help these veterans today,” Rudden said. “It’s sad that they are being treated the way that they are.” Rudden belongs to the Bethany Lutheran Church Senior Group and does educational presentations. Education is his No. 1 goal, he said. “We’ve got to educate everybody,” he said. “The family. The kids. The adults. There are just a few people that are trying to do things, when the masses should be doing things. I am sure there aren’t too many people that don’t know someone affected by some of this stuff.” The top challenges that veterans face when transitioning back home to civilian life include mental illness, which can often lead to addiction and a rise in divorce, murder and suicide rates, he said. Other problems include homelessness and unemployment among veterans, he said. A major contributing factor is constant redeployment, he said. “There is a unit down in Sterling, and a friend of mine has been deployed six times,” he said. “It’s absolutely insane.” The constant back and forth between active duty and civilian life takes a toll on the brain and can exacerbate problems like posttraumatic stress disorder, Rudden said. “Your brain can only take so much,” he said. “You go on your third, fourth, fifth tour ... you’ve got a bunch of zombies walking around. These guys have got to be taken care of.” Rudden served combat during part of his time in the service and earned numerous awards. He suffered some struggles when he came back to civil-

EVERYDAY HEROES | Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com

Vet educates about veterans issues

Michelle LaVigne – For Shaw Media

Ray Rudden is an Army veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars. He insists that he is not a “real hero,” and argues that the only way he still is alive today is because of the “grace of God and luck.” ian life, he said. “I was very jumpy, and that scared my wife a lot,” he said. “If I heard a car backfire, I would jump. That’s why I don’t go to parades or fireworks or anything. It drives me up a wall, and it’s been years. … Once that stuff has been embedded, it’s hard to delete.” While education and services available to returning veterans might not be quite where they need to be, Rudden said he is glad to see that veterans are more celebrated now than they were when he returned from his service. “When I got back from Vietnam, it

was horrendous,” he said. When Rudden returned from his tour in Vietnam, he recalled meeting a wall of protesters in front of the Air Force base, one of whom spit at him, he said. “We were frowned upon. We were cursed. We were name-called. The whole thing,” he said. “I think [the fanfare] done now is great. I really do.” In 2017, The Bethany Lutheran Church Senior Group veterans plan to host a countywide fundraising event with live entertainment and food at Veteran Acres Park, likely close to Veterans Day.

The Rudden file VETERAN-RELATED ACTIVITIES: Belongs to the Bethany Lutheran Church Senior Group and does educational presentations; education is his No. 1 goal. QUOTABLE: “There are just a few people that are trying to do things, when the masses should be doing things. I am sure there aren’t too many people that don’t know someone affected by some of this stuff.” – Ray Rudden

Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com â&#x20AC;˘ Sunday, February 26, 2017

| EVERYDAY HEROES

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