People in large cities and small towns alike paused on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month once again in 2021 to honor military veterans. It’s a special time when many Americans pay tribute to those who sacrificed – and those who continue to do so – for our freedoms.
For volunteers like Garrison’s Connie Krebsbach, there is something special about a small town gathering together, even on a cold, blustery day, to say “thank you”.
“I think a small town has such passion for their veterans,” Connie Krebsbach, Garrison
Krebsbach is a member of the Hugh P. Minehan American Legion Post 49 Auxiliary. She and other Auxiliary and Legion members, and others volunteer every year to sponsor Memorial and Veterans Day programs. “I think a small town has such passion for their veterans,” Krebsbach offered. “There’s such a common bond… you’re likely to know someone who is a veteran or related to someone.”
Like many North Dakota communities, Garrison has a Wall of Honor. Located at the City Auditorium, the litany of names pays tribute to those who served in all branches of the military. There is also a military memorial to fallen veterans in the community’s Heritage Park.
“Today [Veterans Day] is for the veterans that are living, and we are grateful for their service and dedication. Krebsbach
Krebsbach says she strongly believes it’s essential to carry on the traditions of a Memorial Day program when names of decreased Legion members are read aloud from the earliest war to the present. “You honor the deceased [Memorial Day],” she explained. “Today [Veterans Day] is for the veterans that are living, and we are grateful for their service and dedication. If you truly want to feel dedication and sacrifice, walk through a Veterans Cemetery. It is such hallowed ground,” she added.
Veterans Day is a way to thank veterans present at the program for their sacrifice, celebrate freedom, and what it means to be an American, she continued. “Attend a Memorial or Veterans Day programs, hear their stories. There is not one veteran alive that won’t be willing to share their military experiences. Some will become silent in contemplation, but listen. Truly listen. They are our walking history books; we have so much to learn. Let them take you to their ships, their battlefields, what took them there, and what brought them home.”
Krebsbach says celebrating the two holidays is also a way to honor tradition: she is hard-pressed to think of how many years names have been read on Memorial Day. The traditional Veterans Day program is also a longstanding tradition so engrained that it, too, is hard to say how long it’s been held.
The programs carry a message, Krebsbach described, “They send you home with a message that hits close to home. Every speaker brings something different to the podium.”
"Every speaker brings something different to the podium.” Krebsbach
In May a Garrison area veteran and Purple Heart recipient brought history to life and close to home, emphasizing the role of North Dakotans in historic military campaigns. “Today [Veterans Day] we had a speaker whose main military focus was bombs, but did a great job in telling of the demands and responsibilities that can change on a moment’s notice and how he and his troops reacted. Through every speaker, we are taken more into wars and conflicts that open our eyes. We are still in awe of what they present to us,” Krebsbach described.
Many American Legion posts across North Dakota and the United States present Veterans Day programs. In small towns those volunteers often carry on an array of duties. Planning now begins for the 2022 Memorial Day program, working with children on an annual Memorial Day poster contest, and more.
Like many Legion volunteers, Krebsbach comes from a family rich in military history, including parents, grandparents, and she and her husband, Dean’s, two daughters each served more than 20 years in the U.S. Air Force.
“It’s by these programs we as a community grow and acknowledge our rich military history,”Krebsbach
The dedication of those who served and are currently serving isn’t lost on volunteers like Krebsbach, longtime Legion member Karen Meier, and others in Garrison, just as it’s not lost on those in other communities across North Dakota.
It’s honoring the military, it’s tradition and history, and in many ways, it’s small town America. “We can’t let that fade away,” Krebsbach stressed.
As much as Garrison’s Veterans Day program is so rich in history and tradition, 2021 marks what Krebsbach hopes will begin new traditions. The local quilting guild, the Piecemakers, presented patriotic quilts to World War II and Korean War veterans, providing the opportunity to share the special moment with their families and audience alike.
A sixth grade class folded the traditional 13 folds of three American flags as their teacher read the meaning of each fold, students solemnly focused on their task. “It’s by these programs we as a community grow and acknowledge our rich military history,” Krebsbach concluded.
