Events
Speaker named for 2010 Veterans Day Event in Merlin, Or
Lieutenant Colonel Gregory Day, Commander, 1st Battalion, 186 Infantry, Oregon National Guard has accepted our invitation to address Veterans on Veterans Day November 11, 2010 at 11am. The Event will be held at the Josephine County Veterans Walk of Honor located in Merlin Community Park, Merlin, Or.
Lieutenant Colonel Day was commissioned in 1989 at the U.S. Army Officers Candidate School, Ft. Benning, Ga and serve on active duty as a tank platoon leader and cavalry scout platoon leader in the 9th Infantry Division and the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment.
Lieutenant Colonel Day transferred to the infantry and join the Oregon National Guard in 1992 where he served as rifle company Executive Officer with the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry and as a Company Commander in both the 3rd Battalion, 116 Cavalry and the 1st battalion, 186 Infantry.
He was the Operations Officer for the Guardians during their deployment to the Sinai, Egypt from 2002 to 2003 and the Battalion Executive Officer during disaster relief operation for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. He served in Afghanistan from 2006 to 2007 as an embedded advisor with an Afghan Infantry Battalion and as the senior mentor to an Afghan Corps Operations officer. He also Commanded the 1st Battalion, 186 Infantry during their deployment to Iraq from 2009 to 2010, the unit’s first combat deployment since World War 11.
Lieutenant Colonel Day is a gradate of the Armor Officer’s Basic Course, the Infantry Officers Advanced Course and the Combined Arms and Services Staff School, and the Command and General Staff College. He holds a Bachelors’ Degree in History from Humboldt State University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Oregon , and is currently enrolled in the United States Army War College’s Distant learning program, where he is working on a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies.
Lieutenant Colonel Day’s works as an attorney in Grants Pass, Or where he lives on the Rogue River with his wife, Linda, Sixteen year old Cody and an Old English Mastiff named Baxter
May 30, 2010
On May 30, 2010 Captain Larry Satterfield, Officer Selection Officer for the US Marines in the Oregon area assisted by SSgt Cory Pollard commissioned Scott Vigus into the US Marines as a 2nd Lt.
Lt Vigus selected the Josephine County Veterans Walk of Honor for his induction and he was sworn in to the Marines while standing in front of the Memorial obelisk. The obelisk has engraved 127 veterans’ names from Josephine County Oregon who gave their life in combat. The memorial identifies veterans from the First World War through Afghanistan War.
Lt Vigus graduated form Oregon State University where he was enrolled in the Marine ROTC. He was attended by his Mother and Father Doreen and Jim Vigus. Jim and his older son Pinned the Lieutenants rank of ensign on Lt Vigus his mother, Doreen presented his sword during the ceremony.
In addition there were eleven current military or veterans attending the ceremony all of which are relatives or friends of Scott and his family.
Photos of the event are set forth below:
Josephine County Veterans Walk of Honor
Celebration Nov 11, 2009
The day started with Breakfast served by the Rogue Valley Young Marines. They were prepared to serve 300 breakfasts and estimated those who attended very closely. There were two visitors to our community the first was Congressman Greg Walden. He nominated his father in law for inscription in the monument. The second notable visitor was Mike Kessler National Executive Director of the Young Marines. Both gave a lot of time to the gathering of young marines and Civil Air Patrol personnel who were in attendance. Congressman Walden spent a large amount of time visiting with listening to the young people. Mike Kessler saw something he liked and promoted one of the young marines on the spot. In addition, both men were seen listening to the veterans assembled and taking notice of their concerns.
Before leaving for Medford and a speech Congressman Walden spoke to about 150 assembled veterans and address many of their concerns over some of the new legislation being purposed.
He then took a tour of the Monument.
Mike Kessler also visited the monument before he had to leave for visits to other Young Marine Units in the area.
At 11:00 AM the event started with Don Monette. Don introduced Maggie Roberts, who sang the National Anthem and later sang America and God Bless America.
The Keynote speaker was Harry Mackin, a Vietnam war marine who served for ten years. He spoke on the impact Veterans Day had on his family. He also mentioned how he found a roadside memorial in Maine named for his cousin who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for action in the Korean War.
Wes Winn, pastor of First Baptist Church, opened the event with a prayer blessed the event at the close. While he was blessing he event Buz Edie played taps for the veterans who have passed.
It was estimated that approximately 150 people attended the event even thou it was raining.
Photos of the event are set forth below.
The United States Flag now flying over the Veterans monument was donated by the family of Veteran:
May 30 2010 Joseph Patton Vietnam 1963 1965
NOTICE
Flags donated by the families of veterans are flown for a maximum of six months and then retired. While they are being flown the name of the donor is affixed to the flag pole to recognize and honor the Veteran. Anyone wishing to honor their Veteran by displaying their 5″ X 8″ flag please contact Richard Smith, Chairman, Veterans Walk of Honor at (541) 471 9446 or E mail to fraudawg@msn.com
