Veteran’s Day Salute

Veteran’s Day Parade Through Florissant:

This Sunday, Nov. 11 at 1 p.m.

As a Vietnam veteran, Mayor Thomas Schneider said he was pleased to announce that the Veterans’ Parade will be on the 100th anniversary of Artistes Day, on Sunday, Nov. 11 beginning at 1 p.m.

Parade participants will assemble and start the parade at Bangert Park at 1 and precede north on Florissant Road and then turn left on St. Francois and end the parade at the VFW Post home where the ceremony will take place to honor the Veteran of the Year.

This year’s parade marshal will be last year’s Veteran of the Year Denny Kiler. Tony Colombo from FM News Talk 97.1 and SGM US Army (Ret.) Carl A. Hargus, director, Service to Veterans – MO Veterans Commission (Ret.) will be the Emcee. This year’s guest speaker is retired Marine Master Sergeant Russell W. Avery.

The 2018 Florissant Veteran of the Year is Richard Rosenkoetter. (see page 10 for story) Richard’s entire military service was spent in the Artillery in the Fire Direction Center. He spent 13 months in Korea in A battery, 6th battalion, 37th Artillery, 2nd Infantry Division and then he went to the 1st Infantry Division in a missile unit and finally to the 24th Division in an 8” self-propelled artillery unit. He has been a member of the VFW since 1969.

The parade event was the suggestion of Norman Sirna, a member of the Veterans’ Commission. Mayor Schneider and the City Council invite everyone to bring their children/grandchildren to this event and salute the men and women who have and continue to serve this great country in Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard.

Korean War Veterans Sought For Local Chapter

Did the military ever send you to Korea? If you served in Korea on land, in the territorial waters or in the airspace over Korea at any time from Sept. 3, 1945 to the present you are invited to check out, Chapter 4 Korean War Veterans Association. meet on the first Thursday of the month at VFW Post 4105, 410 St Francois, in Florissant MO.

Any questions or more information call Walter Kaiser at 314-921-2132

Florissant Army Vet Tony Hastings Honored

by VFW Post 4105, Greater StL Honor Flight

Members of the Florissant Valley Memorial VFW Post 4105 partnered with the Greater St. Louis Honor Flight (GSLHF) organization to honor longtime Florissant resident and Army Veteran Tony Hastings who has ALS and has lived over 25 years longer than docters expected.

Knowing that Tony would not be able to make the long flight to Washington D.C. to experience the memorials built in their honor, it was decided that on Monday, Oct. 22, GSLHF would come to Tony and honored him at his home. Tony was presented with an Honor Flight medal, hat and commemorative shirt from GSLHF. Tony was overwhelmed and appreciative for what everyone has done for him. Tony prides himself on how much he can do and raise money to help other people that are battling with ALS, Mayor Tom Schneider said. “I met Tony Hastings in 1979 when I first ran for City Council and I am proud to have had his continuing friendship and support for the past 40 years,” said gthe mayor. “He is an inspiration to me, his neighbors and to our entire community and I am happy that he has received this award.”

The Greater St. Louis Honor Flight is a 501 c 3 organization, whose mission is to safely transport America’s most senior military veterans to Washington DC, to experience the memorials built in their honor. They are dedicated to these heroic men and women having one of the best days of their life. GSLHF hub launched in 2008 and has since safely traveled with more than 1500 local veterans.

This experience is provided at zero cost to the veterans. Each travels with a Guardian, who insures not only their safety but also that their experience is profound and fulfilling. America’s World War II veterans are passing at the rate of 430 per day. GSLHF is committed to doing all we can to ensure Saint Louis-area veterans make it to Washington DC to see the memorials built in their honor. Their priority currently is World War II and Korean War veterans, as well as any veteran who is experiencing a terminal illness. today’s active duty

For more information on the Greater St. Louis Honor Flight, visit their website at www.gslhonorflight.org.

VFW Post 4105’s Richard Rosenkoetter is 2018 Florissant Veteran of the Year

Richard Rosenkoetter is the 2018 Florissant Veteran of the Year and will ride in the parade on Sunday, Nov.11 (see front page story) “I am honored to accept this award on behalf of all veterans and I want to thank all of them for their service,” said Rosenkoetter.

He is married to his wife Jeanette and have a blended family of seven children, 12 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Included are two sons who are retired military, one from the Army and the other from the Navy.

Rosenkoetter attended St. Louis University High School where I played football for four years, and ran track for four years and qualified for the state tournament in High Jump, broad jump and pole vault in his senior year. He went on to Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy for two years where he played on the varsity football team and then one year at University of Missouri in St. Louis, before being drafted.

For three years he had worked for McDonnell Douglas Aircraft as a draftsman in Plant Engineering, for 11 years at Cordes Appliance and Furniture and then at Barnes Jewish Hospital where I retired after 20 six years in Plant Engineering.

Rosenkoetter entire military service was spent in the Artillery in the Fire Direction Center. He spent 13 months in Korea in A battery, 6th battalion, 37th Artillery, 2nd Infantry Division . He later went to the 1st Infantry Division in a missile unit and finally to the 24th Division in an 8” self-propelled artillery unit.

He has been a member of the VFW since 1969 and served as Quartermaster twice at Post 4105 for a total of six years, the American Legion since 1983 and the Korean War Veterans, Chapter 4 since 2009 where he currently serves as their finance officer. He is a 50-year member of the Knights of Columbus, the National Active and Retired Federal Employees since 2002, in Chapter 1240, and currently serves as treasurer and Federation Treasurer for 10 years and State Convention Treasurer in 2012 and 2016. The he is a member of St Rose Philippine and belongs to the Mississippi Valley Chapter of the American Breweriana Association.

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