Dublin Rotary Honors Veterans

- By Chris Kinzel, Dublin Rotary Club

In its fourth annual Veterans Day commemoration, the Rotary Club of Dublin honored Persian Gulf War Veterans on Nov. 8. Rotarian Janine Thalblum, herself an Army veteran, coordinated the inspirational program.

The featured speaker was Sergeant First Class Norbie Lara, who was deployed in both Kuwait and Bosnia. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star and represented the Army at the 2005 State of the Union address. He now works with the Wounded Warrior Project, helping wounded veterans like himself transition to their new life after injury.

Mary Burton and Luisa Oriti appeared on behalf of the Blue Star Moms, providing a history of the organization and its current activities which include providing care packages, veterans outreach and advocacy, and outreaching to the wounded and to bereaving families.

This year’s Rotary special charity is the Fisher House, providing warm and caring housing and hospitality to families of veterans who are undergoing surgery at a VA center. Dublin Rotary presented a donation of $4,000 earned at its recent Lobster Feed.

The Persian Gulf Veterans who were honored included Doreen MacLellan, Sheila Jessup-Schwarz and Rachael Fontanilla Delaporte of the Air Force, Harold Strunk and Scott Hill of the Navy, Johnny Delashaw of the Marines and Janine Thalblum of the Army.

The award winning Jazz Band, directed by Erik Bertelson, entertained the crowd during the event. Dublin residents should be proud of the great music provided by the Wells Middle School.

The Rotary Club of Dublin meets on Tuesdays from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. at the at 5900 Signal Hill Drive. Guests and prospective members are always welcome.