Celebrating the Veterans in Our Lives
Officially established in 1919, Veterans Day commemorates the end of “the Great War,” World War I. Along with preserving the date’s historical significance, Veterans Day is widely regarded as a celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve the common good.
At Maddin Hauser, many of our people have family and friends who have served in branches of the United States military. On Veterans Day, we proudly recognize our colleagues’ family members who have served our country by sharing their stories.
Mark James
Mark shares the story of his father, Lance Corporal Curtis James, who served in the United States Marine Corps from 1960 to 1964. While he thankfully did not fight in a war, Curtis was in Vietnam during the beginning of the United States’ involvement. He traveled to numerous countries and locations throughout Asia during his service.
A proud Marine and tank commander, Curtis was a quiet man, but he shared stories from his service with a twinkle in his eye.
Linda O’Meara
Linda proudly shines a spotlight on her uncle, Airman Second Class James Joseph O’Meara Jr. He joined the United States Air Force from Michigan and was assigned to the 28th Bombardment Squadron, 19th Bombardment Group. He bravely served in the Korean War in 1953.
James wrote to his family that he’d be home from the war by mid-January in 1953. Sadly, that was the last they heard from him. Delayed by orders to fly one more night bombing operation south of Pyongyang, North Korea, the aircraft commander made a distress call and ordered the crew to bail out after enemy forces attacked their B-29.
Only three crew members ultimately survived and were returned to United States custody following the war. A fellow crew member reported that O’Meara was uninjured when he bailed out of the damaged aircraft, although he was never found.
Airman Second Class O’Meara is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. His name is also inscribed on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., which was updated in 2022 to include the names of the fallen.
Krista Cotter Ranta
Krista highlights the service of her cherished grandfather, Donald P. Cotter, who served in the United States Army from 1945 to 1946. Born in Beal City, MI, he was the oldest of eight children. Starting at the age of 13, he worked as a dairy farmer until being drafted into the Army at the age of 20 in 1945.
Donald served in the Pacific Theater of World War II until the war ended, and then continued in the occupation of Japan thereafter. During his service, he sent every army paycheck to his parents to support his younger siblings and the farm. When his service ended, Donald returned home to start his own dairy farm, where he raised a family of six children with his loving wife, Arlene.
We are grateful for the service and sacrifice of Mr. James, Mr. O’Meara, and Mr. Cotter, as well as their families. We celebrate all veterans who have served our country honorably.