We are part of The Trust Project.
DOUGLAS COUNTY — The annual Alexandria American Legion Post 87 Veterans Day program is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m.
The event will take place at Reach Church in Alexandria, 1310 N. Nokomis St. NE.
Following the program, a lunch will be served at the Alexandria VFW Post 936, 1102 3rd Ave. E.
This year’s guest speaker is Maj. Gen. Paul Rehkamp, who was commissioned as an armor officer from the University of Minnesota Reserve Officers’ Training Corps in 1963.
He served in the 1st Battalion 32nd Armor in Friedberg, Germany and then once he returned to Marshall, he was assigned to the 875th Replacement Company.
ADVERTISEMENT
He retired in 1998 after 35 years of military service.
Rehkamp received many decorations, including the following: Army Reserve Achievement Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (two awards), the Meritorious Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (three awards) and the Army Distinguished Service Medal.
He was also a graduate of the Command and General Staff College and the Army War College, and was selected to attend the National Security Course at Harvard University.
Living in Marshall, he was a funeral director and also served on a number of community boards, including Community First Bank, the Marshall Board of Education, the Marshall Industries Foundation, the Southwest Minnesota State University Foundation and the Marshall Area YMCA. He also served on the Metropolitan Airports Commission for 22 years and he was a partner in WWI, INC and World Wide Investors.
Rehkamp and his wife, Marcia, have four children (two of whom served as soldiers) and 11 grandchildren.
Other events
There will be Veterans Day programs in the Brandon-Evansville School District, too. The first will be held at the Brandon campus, 206 W. Third St., on Monday, Nov. 14, at 8:30 a.m. The second one will take place the same day, Monday, Nov. 14, at 10:15 a.m. at the Evansville campus, 123 2nd Ave.
All community members are welcome to attend.
The programs will include student readers, a video message, school choir and special messages from local veterans.
ADVERTISEMENT
A program in Osakis hosted by the Osakis VFW Post 7902, is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 11, at 10:15 a.m., at the high school. The Veterans Day message will be provided by Lindell Quam and there will be a Veterans Day video by the Minnesota National Guard.
The high school choir, under the direction of Paul Hartmann, along with the concert band, under the direction of Lee Bottelberghe, will perform during the program.
