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Community Corner

Veterans Day Program Planned for Friday

The 55-year tradition continues with one of the original founders of the event.

The St. Charles County Veterans Committee and St. Charles City Veterans Commission will sponsor a joint Veterans Day Program at the Historic Friday.

The 11 a.m. ceremony will honor all veterans. Major Rick Radford, currently a combat engineer in the Army Reserves, and assistant superintendent of business services for the, will speak at the event. Radford has served the country for 23 years and received the Bronze Star medal for his actions under enemy contact in Iraq.

Also speaking at the event will be St. Charles County Executive Steven Ehlmann and St. Charles Mayor Sally Faith.

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Tom Stephenson, one of the event’s original organizers who served in the Army during the Korean War in an anti-aircraft unit, said that this is the 55th year for the Veterans Day Program.

Stephenson, who turned 80 in October, said he joined the Army in 1948 and got out of the service in 1955. He said that after the Korean War ended, he and some of his Army buddies got together and decided they wanted to do something to help honor their fellow veterans.

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“The guys who went before me made it possible for me to be able to serve my country, so when I came back home, I did what I could,” Stephenson said. “I was one of the people who helped organized the first event 55 years ago.”

Stepenson served as the commander of the St. Charles Veterans Committee back in 1969, he said, and he’s now in his second term as commander. He also achieved the rank of Corporal in the Army during the Korean War.

“I think it’s important that we do this every year,” Stephenson said. “After all, the boys today are still fighting to keep us safe. The community should really participate because this is something big.”

Stephenson, the last remaining original committee member, said that he wants to see the Veterans Day Program continue well into the future.  He said he worries that younger people don’t always understand how important it is to pay respect to the military members who keep the country safe.

“We should keep this going as long as we can,” he said. “A lot of us are falling off and more are going to go as time goes on. I don’t want to see this end.”

Also a member of the , Stephenson said that this year’s ceremony is really special because it will happen at 11 a.m. on 11/11/11.

“It will be a hundred years before it happens again,” he said. “I don’t think there will be many of us around by then.”

The event will take place at the St. Charles County Veterans Memorial at the courthouse at 100 N. Third St. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held indoors at the at 2500 Raymond Drive.

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