Forty-four veterans were honored Thursday afternoon by Cornerstone Hospice at Sumter Place in The Villages. The celebration featured a certificate presentation and a pinning ceremony to all of the veterans present, and a special guest appearance was made by Idol, a German shepherd service dog trained to deal with symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder.
The ceremony began with an introduction by Sumter Place Activities Director Robin Brackeen. A brief moment of silence was observed for Buster Burt, a veteran of the facility who just recently passed.
George W. Wanberg, a Marine who served in Vietnam, spoke briefly on his time honoring veterans. Wanberg, who makes trips to homes all over the state of Florida to present pins and speak with his fellow veterans, is grateful for the opportunity to salute those who, like him, have served our country.
“We’re here just to reach out thank our veterans for their service to our country, because without these [men] and women, and their families as well, we wouldn’t be here today,” said Wanberg of the veterans. Wanberg has been involved with the “Salute to Veterans” program for five years, and cherishes the opportunity to honor others. “I’m honored to be here…all of the volunteers that reach out are veterans as well,” said Wanberg.
Wanberg, who has operated “Welcome Home International,” a veterans’ ministry in existence since 1996, has visited Vietnam four separate times since 2000 to help escort veterans and their families back to the country for closure.
One of the veterans honored in the ceremony, Frank Lukasik, credits his time in the Navy with finding his wife. Lukasik, who served in the Navy for four years, says it was the best thing he ever did, and he would have stayed longer, but decided to marry and come back to the states. He spent many years afterwards working in different capacities for the Navy and private businesses all over the world.
The Cornerstone “Salute to Veterans” tribute is an ongoing ceremony that the organization has considered a hallmark of its operations for years. Not only does the organization host the events at their various facilities in central Florida, but also makes special trips to veterans’ houses to honor them individually for their service.
Wanberg described one such occasion in which he visited a Marine veteran in Saint Cloud, Florida, and was able to not only pin him and honor him with a certificate and salute, but also had the opportunity to present the Marine with the Purple Heart his family had tried for years to obtain. After a heartfelt, tear-filled exchange, Wanberg indicated that he was truly honored by the experiences he has had during his time recognizing our veterans.
Paul Farineau, a member of the Rotary Club of The Villages and veteran, suggested that thanks belonged not only to the veterans, but also to the spouses who stood in support of their loved ones for the years of their service.
“[I went to] thank [the spouses] for their support of their spouse who was in the military. Don’t ever forget, they would have never been successful, they would have never survived, and they wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for the support of the [spouses] who were there by their sides…It is a pleasure to be here with all of you today. Thank you for your service and support [of] service,” said Farineau of the veterans and their spouses.
To view our photo album of Thursday’s celebration, click here.
For a complete list of the veterans honored in Thursday’s celebration, read below.
| Browning, Ward |
| Bunkoff, Chris |
| Burg, James |
| Busi, Joseph |
| Caine, Thomas |
| Cary, William |
| Crooks, Earl |
| Day, Donald |
| Dederich, Jerome |
| Dyer, Warner |
| Fischer, Louis |
| Fisk, Edward |
| Gallo, Frank |
| Graham, David |
| Hammond, Burton |
| Harrod, Robert |
| Irwin, Edward |
| Jaffe, Heinz |
| Klug, Mitchell |
| LaRusso, Vincent |
| Lenox, Jack |
| Levitt, Arnold |
| Lintner, Jack |
| Lukasik, Frank |
| Macko, Alfred |
| Mantooth, Glen |
| Markham, Robert |
| Marvin, Edward |
| McLaughin, William |
| Murphy, Susan |
| Newby, Harry |
| Novotny, George |
| O’Keefe, Thomas |
| Parks, Edward |
| Pinter, Alvin |
| Reusswig, Frederick |
| Russell, Dudley |
| Schrack, Robert |
| Sirianni, Michael |
| Stelsel, David |
| Welles, Lindsey |
| Williams, William |
| Yunko, Albert |
| Arielly, Thomas |