Veterans honored at Bagley Elementary
Veterans Honored on Veterans Day at Bagley Elementary
The Veterans Day program at the Bagley Elementary School honored 3 veterans with their own Quilt of Valor. Gladys Lueken, member of the Headwaters Quilt Guild(Bemidji), presided over the ceremony.
Dave Hallan’s military journey began during his junior year at Bemidji State University when a nation-wide draft lottery was held. He had the luck to receive number 7 of 365, one for each day of the year including leap year babies. He remained in college deferring until his graduation day. He graduated June 1st and received his draft notice on the 15th.. He made the most of a short vacation.
On August 15th he was on his way to Fort Lewis Washington for 9 weeks of basic training along with his advanced training of 11Bravo – which is infantry training, as the Vietnam war was still active. Dave says they were put through everything that the Army had at their disposal. Even if it was hard they found ways to make the best of it and especially enjoyed firing the M60 machine guns. After 7 months in Washington and a seven day leave in Minnesota Dave arrived in San Diego to ship out to Vietnam in the spring of 1971. At the same time President Nixon decided enough was enough and started not to deploy infantry to Vietnam unless they volunteered. He chose to stay and was assigned to the 25thInfantry Division in the Pacific where they were ready to be deployed but he was never sent and spent the last two years of the military at Schofield Barracks near Honolulu.
Dave, a graduate with the class of 1966, returned to Bagley and later took a position with the Bagley School District teaching and coaching for thirty-four years retiring in 2006.
Dave fills his time in retirement by being an active member of whichever board he is currently on. He serves as a trustee with Faith Lutheran Church, and accepts the opportunity to serve where ever he is needed. This summer you could find him at the Twin Pines golf course at 6 am, either volunteering to keep the greens in pristine condition and/or doing a little golfing. Dave loves hunting, fishing and daily putzing on the farm where he was raised.
He is a Past Commander of the American Legion Irvin Blix Post 16 where he has been a member for fifty-three years. You will recognize him from many events serving in the color guard as today and at services for veterans in the honor guard. Having been an educator and supporter of post high school education, he finds an important role serving on the scholarship committee. He is currently on the Clearwater County Veterans Memorial board.
Dave has a paver stone next to his father’s the late Vernon Hallan a WWII veteran. He has accepted the responsibility of ordering the stones for other veterans. Dave is proud to be an American Veteran. “Life is Good”
Bailey Fultz, daughter of Mark and Michelle Fultz, and a graduate of Bagley High School, class of 2014, is still active with the Army Reserves. After working at Fireside restaurant in Bagley and other jobs after graduation she enlisted in the Army in 2020. She has one year left on this enlistment and will most likely reup at that time. She has quite a history of family being in the military starting with her dad in the Air Force, both grandpas Wayne Wilde, and Doyle Fultz served in the Army.
Her military training started at Fort Leonard Wood Missouri. She was trained to be a construction equipment mechanic. She has been with the 309th Unit in Brainerd, the 461st Unit in Fargo and joined the 612th Unit in Duluth when she heard they were being deployed, she volunteered. She has been to Syria, Iraq and Kuwait just returning a few weeks ago after a ten month deployment. When she is not deployed, she attends monthly drills.
Her son Cash nominated his mother and is proud of her hard work and leadership in working with other soldiers and achieving the rank of Sergeant E-5. Not only is Cash proud but Bailey is proud to be a soldier and serve our country.
Skylar Berg grew up in Nashua Minnesota, and graduated from Campbell-Tintah High School in 2015. She has four siblings, and was raised on a small hobby farm by her father, Scott Niesche (NeeShee).
After graduation she attended the University of Minnesota-Crookston, earning her Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education. It was when she was half way through college that she enlisted in the Minnesota Army National Guard. She had friends that had enlisted in the service and a cousin, Joel, who had enlisted years before her, that was always there with advice.
In 2019 she attended Basic Training and AIT at Fort Sill Oklahoma to become a 13Bravo (Cannon Crewmember). She was a pioneer for women in that specialty as she was only the second female 13Bravo in her unit, as combat arms jobs had only begun allowing women in two years prior. She has served 6 years active and will finish her two years as inactive this winter. She was activated domestically to provide additional security to the East St. Paul Police Precinct during the Derek Chauvin trial of 2021.
Those nominating Skylar said she is a dedicated American who is strong and courageous. She brings strength, dedication, honor, confidence, and courage to our community. She is a great addition to the Bagley Elementary staff as a sixth-grade teacher.
Skylar is married to Daniel Berg, and they have 3 young children, and are licensed as foster parents.
Her advice to young people is “if you feel the calling to serve your country do not hesitate to enlist. The military will give you an increased sense of self-worth, confidence, discipline, and some of the best friends you will ever have. My only regret about enlisting in the military was not joining sooner.”