Oaklawn military veterans honor Veteran's Day

Nov. 12, 2018

Military veterans on Oaklawn staff gather to conduct flag ceremony, receive honors

 MARSHALL – Military veterans employed on the staff at Oaklawn’s regional facilities recently participated in events in recognition of their service in the U.S. Armed Forces.

About a dozen Oaklawn staff members who are military veterans gathered Nov. 9 for an early-morning flag-raising ceremony and breakfast at Oaklawn’s main campus at 200 N. Madison St. They represented the approximately four dozen members of Oaklawn’s staff and Auxiliary who are veterans.

Overseen by an honor guard of 10 veterans led by Oaklawn nurse and former U.S. Army drill sergeant Mike Herring of Jonesville, the new flag was hoisted on the main lawn of the campus. The new flag replaces a year-old flag that was turned over for retirement to Bill Thick Jr., commander of Marshall-based Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4073.

Afterward over breakfast, Jennifer Stapleton, an Oaklawn human resources specialist and a veteran of the U.S. Army, presented each veteran who attended with a specially created Oaklawn Challenge Coin honoring military veterans, and thanked them for their service to the nation.

The event was held in advance of Veterans Day, the official United States public holiday observed annually on Nov. 11.

“Oaklawn is proud of our family that have served, and it means a lot to us veterans that Oaklawn cares enough to recognize our service and celebrate us,” said Marla E. Stuck, Oaklawn’s executive director of human resources and a veteran of the U.S. Army.

“This perpetuates the history of our country,” Thick said. “This community has a lot of proud veterans and this means a lot to us. Oaklawn is Marshall’s biggest employer, and it means the world to us that they’re willing to honor the sacrifice of veterans.”