Countdown to America's 250th Anniversary By Office of Corporate Communications
November 9, 2016
Veterans Day & Our Denver Vets
Did you know? Veterans Day was originally created to mark the armistice of World War I in 1918. Over time, the holiday has come to honor service members of all generations, as the Veterans Administration explains:
“Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good” (http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday).
In honor of Veterans Day, we talked to employees in Denver to learn about their service and the lessons they learned during their time in the military. Find out more about these vets by visiting www.youtube.com/USMINT.
Wilma Harp
Current Job: Metal Forming Machine Operator
Branch: Served in the United States Marine Corps for six years
Deployment: Deployed to Afghanistan; Forward-deployed to Okinawa, Japan
Best Memory: “I want to say it’s the family orientation. Everyone’s a big family, whether it’s a hard time or a good time.”
Mark Weaver
Current Job: Manufacturer Certification and Apprenticeship Program (MCAP) Trainer
Branch: Served in the United States Air Force for four years
Deployment: Deployed to Saudi Arabia
Best Memory: “The military taught me how to be a roundabout person, how to be open-minded when I was young, and I brought that here to the Mint.”
Kari Martin
Current Job: Metal Forming Machine Operator
Branch: Served 18 years in the U.S. Air Force
Deployment: Deployed to Al Udeid Air Force Base in Qatar
Best Memory: “I think I miss all of it the most. I loved it. I loved the sound of the aircraft. The feeling that you belong to something important.”
Eric Faler
Current Job: Safety and Occupational Health Specialist
Branch: Served in the United States Army for three years
Deployment: Deployed to Hungary in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom for a program called “Free Iraqi Forces”
Best Memory: “My fondest memory of the service was definitely jumping out of airplanes. In three years, I jumped out 36 times.”
Stephanie Wiesing
Current Job: Human Resources Specialist
Branch: Currently in the U.S. Army Reserve; served previously in the Army National Guard; over 25 years of total service
Deployment: Deployed in support of disaster relief operations for Hurricane Katrina and also to Iraq and Egypt
Best Memory: “Some of the best people I ever worked for or met, some of the funniest, hardest working have all been in the military.”
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