The Dubois County Veterans Council has announced details for its Veterans Day Observance on Veterans Day, Saturday, November 11th.
Activities will begin with an 8 AM mass at St. Joseph Church Jasper with all Veterans post and organizations posting their colors.
VFW Post #2366 Huntingburg will be this year’s host for the Veterans Day Observance beginning at 10 AM.
Post Commander Jim Anderson, will be the master of ceremonies, Post Chaplain Jim Potter, will give the opening prayer, and Daryl Hensley of DAV Chapter #77 and American Legion Post #147 will perform the POW and MIA Ritual remembering our prisoners of war and our missing in action Veterans.
Senior Pastor of Huntingburg United Methodist Church and Veteran David Chinn will be the guest speaker. Pastor Chinn served in the United States Air Force from 1977 through 1981 attaining the rank of Senior Airman.
The observance will conclude with a riffle volley and taps played by the VFW Post #2366 Honor Guard and a closing prayer.
A lunch will be served for all in attendance.
This year’s Living Veteran to be recognized is Louis Schmidt of Jasper.
Louis Schmidt, and his wife, Mary Ann.
Louis (Louie) Schmidt was born on November 21, 1923, to Adam and Caroline (Burke) Schmidt. Louie attended St. Joseph Catholic School and graduated from Jasper High School in 1941. Louie enlisted in the
US Army on March 8th, 1943.
Staff Sergeant Schmidt commanded a rifle platoon in combat in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and in the Philippines and Korea. His platoon made attacks upon enemy machine gun nests and pillboxes, made day and night patrols to determine the location and strength of the enemy, and fired the M-1 rifle and machine guns in combat.
Staff Sergeant Schmidt was Honorably Discharged from the United States Army on January 4th, 1946.
Staff Sergeant Schmidt was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Theater Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Stars, Bronze Arrowhead Device for the assault on New Guinea and Luzon, the WWII
Victory Medal, the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one Bronze Service Star and the Combat Infantryman Badge, Distinguished Unit Citation, Army Occupational Medal with Japan Clasp, and the Republic of the
Philippines President Unit Citation.
Louie married Mary Ann Theising on October 12, 1948, and recently celebrated their 75th Wedding Anniversary. Louie is a charter member of Precious Blood Church, a charter member of the Precious Choir where he sang for 55 years, a past president and secretary of the Precious Blood Men’s Society, served on the Precious Blood Church Council for 3 years, and is a Member of the Brute Society. Louie retired from the Jasper Desk company after 33 years of building desks.
Louie and his wife Mary Ann are the parents of Marilyn Padgett and Judy Houtsch, grandparents of Andrew Houtsch and Michelle Durcholz, and have 6 great-grandchildren.
