Dearborn Taking Applications for Veteran of the Year

DEARBORN, MI — The Dearborn Allied War Veterans Council is accepting nominations until Thursday, Oct. 6, for the 2016 -2017 Dearborn Veteran of the Year award.

Nomination forms are available at the Dearborn Administrative Center’s front desk, 16901 Michigan Ave., and at the American Legion Fort Dearborn Post No. 364, 3001 S. Telegraph Road.

The form will also be available online at beginning on Sept. 12.

The award is presented each Veterans Day to the Dearborn veteran judged to have made a significant contribution to the Dearborn community and to the interests of veterans.

The following criteria apply to all nominations:

• The nominee must be a Dearborn resident.
• Nominations can be made by Dearborn residents or Dearborn veterans’ organizations.
• The nominee’s community service work and work on behalf of veterans’ organizations must have been done only on a volunteer basis.
• Nominees do not need to be an active member of a Dearborn veterans’ organization but at-large nominations must contain proof of military service.

There have been 34 Veterans of the Year since the award was initiated by the DAWVC in 1982.

Veterans of the Year are remembered at the Dearborn Administrative Center on an engraved wall plaque.

Duties for the new Veteran of the Year include providing remarks at the Veterans Day service and leading the Pledge of Allegiance at ceremonies on Memorial Day and Flag Day.

The Veteran of the Year award will be presented during the City’s Veterans Day ceremony, which is at 11 a.m. on Friday, November 11, at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center.

The public is welcome.

For more information, call (313) 943-2285

Photo

Past Veterans of the Year lined up after the Veterans Day Ceremony in 2015, from left: Ken VanHooser, Ray Wantuck (partially obscured), Frank Pelaccio, Leo Barrett, Dan Ryder, Mayor John B. O’Reilly Jr., John Bendzick, Lenny Pitek, Thomas Houle, George Harvey, John Ruselowski and Ted Gagacki. (Photo courtesy of the city of Dearborn)