Saturday, November 9, 2024 | 9
HONORING OUR VETERANS
Park School saying ‘thanks’ to veterans at event Monday
Offutt hub aims to keep vets in Nebraska Resource center is 1st of its kind in country
tary PTO and served by fifth-grade student leaders from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. To help us prepare, we encourage attend- ees to RSVP via the veterans breakfast RSVP to Park Elementary at 308-698- 8280, veterans breakfast RSVP SignUp Genius. Veterans music program: At 8:20 a.m., Park Elementary’s fifth-grade students will perform a special music program in the gym to honor the sacrifices made by our veterans. This performance is a tribute to those who have served, of- fering gratitude and reflection through music. Veterans recognition: To ensure we properly recognize those attending, veterans are invited to complete a veter- ans recognition form prior to the event. Park Elementary is inviting all vet- erans and community members to join the school in paying tribute to the men and women who have served and con- tinue to serve our country.
MIKE KONZ | mike.konz@kearneyhub.com KEARNEY — Park Elementary School invites the community to join its annual Veterans Day Celebration on Monday, Nov. 11. The event will honor veterans and active-duty military members for their dedication and service, beginning with a veterans breakfast and followed by a fifth-grade veterans music pro- gram. “We are incredibly honored to host our Veterans Day celebration each year,” said Chance Waggoner, principal of Park Elementary. “It’s a special oppor- tunity for our students to learn about our veterans and express our heartfelt gratitude to the men and women who have served, or are currently serving, our country. We hope this event dem- onstrates the deep respect and appre- ciation we hold for their sacrifices.” Veterans Day breakfast: Veterans and their families are welcome to enjoy a breakfast hosted by the Park Elemen-
STEVE LIEWER Omaha World-Herald
Each year, hundreds of service members wrap up their military careers at Of- futt Air Force Base and leave Nebraska for good. Gov. Jim Pillen would like to see more of them stick around. Last week, he and sev- eral business, military and veteran leaders wielded a giant pair of scissors to cut a ceremonial ribbon on the first-of-its-kind Nebraska Resource Center, in the Base Exchange building at Offutt. About 75 people attended. “We know our commu- nity is stronger when the people who leave Offutt don’t leave the commu- nity,” said Heath Mello, di- rector of the Greater Omaha Chamber. Pillen noted many service members assigned to the base come to Nebraska not expecting to like it. “Almost everyone here never wanted to be sta- tioned at Offutt. But once you get here, you don’t want to get off it,” Pillen said, employing a favorite local pun. The Base Exchange is the shopping hub of any large military base, featuring a department store similar to a Wal-Mart or Target store. It’s open only to service members and retirees with military IDs, and all items are tax-free. There also are fast-food restaurants, shops and kiosks. But never before, any- where, a resource center like this one. The storefront office, a few steps from Popeye’s and Starbucks, has a liv- ing room-like waiting area, televisions and magazines,
STEVE LIEWER , THE WORLD-HERALD
Veterans watch as a ceremonial ribbon is cut, marking the official opening of the new Nebraska Resource Center for service members and veterans in the Base Exchange building at Offutt Air Force Base. Cutting the ribbon are, from left, Scott Bonner, regional vice president for the Army & Air Force Exchange Service; John Hilgert, director of the Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs; Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen; and Col. Mark Howard, commander of the 55th Wing at Offutt.
But Hilgert said it wasn’t easy to get so many organi- zations working together to get it open. “There’s no way to do what we just did,” he said. “What you see here today is unique.” Col. Mark Howard, the 55th Wing commander, described the center as “something foundational you can’t get anywhere else.” “In the past, we had lim- ited opportunity to hear about these benefits,” he said. “This is a big deal. You come here to the BX, and bam! There, you’ve got it.” Krystal Salisbury-Hen- dricks, a state veteran ser- vice officer, staffs the center 40 hours a week. It actually opened to drop-in visitors Sept. 9. “It’s been steady the whole time we’ve been open,” she said. “I’m con- stantly busy. And I’m glad I am.”
desks with computer termi- nals, and posters celebrat- ing Nebraska and the mili- tary. Veteran license plates decorate a wall. A display features pam- phlets touting not only VA services and nonprofits serving veterans, but also Nebraska real estate, parks, lakes and tourist attrac- tions. Service members or spouses can get help finding a job or building a resumé. “This is a hub, like a Rolo- dex,” said John Hilgert, di- rector of the Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs. “Whatever ques- tion someone has in our community, they’ll be able to get the information here.” The center is the result of a partnership involving the Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs, the Army & Air Force Exchange Ser- vice, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Greater Omaha Chamber, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Air Force. The idea has been in the works for almost 10 years.
VETERANS THANK YOU
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sliewer@owh.com; twitter. com/Steve Liewer
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