By Sterling McGinn
U. S. Navy Veteran and business owner Curt Taylor received the 2025 Luce County Veteran Community Service Award at the 12th Annual Luce County Veterans Services Office Veterans Appreciation Dinner, which took place in the James Lone Hall at American Legion Post 74 in Newberry on Friday, October 24.
The event began at 5 p.m. with dinner served at 6 p.m. The meal was prepared by Post 74 vice-commander Becky Keene and her crew. According to veteran service officer, Rick Minard, there were 140 veterans and family members in attendance.
Curt Taylor is a Newberry native. He and his wife, Denise, own and operate Moose du Nord and Muggs in Helmer.
“This year’s winner is a Navy Veteran who believes and says that what we should all be doing is treating people like people,” said presenter Randy Griffis. “He practices what he preaches. He has devoted a tremendous amount of time to the youth of our area.”
Taylor served 17 years as a youth hockey coach and coached little league and youth football.
“He is additionally involved with the Lions Club and helps clean up the beaches and with adopt-a-highway and all the unspoken things that Lions Clubs and civic groups do,” Griffis said.
Taylor also helps with veteran bicycle and snowmobile events and donated food and his time to feed participants and escorts in the veteran’s bass tournament this year.
Griffis told the audience of an instance he personally witnessed when Taylor stopped everything to help a visitor to the area. Griffis was sitting in front of Moose du Nord when this happened.
“This guy pulled up in a side by side and it died right there,” he said. “Curt spent a good half hour trying to diagnose the problem so he could get back on the road.”
Taylor said the award was “very unexpected”.
“As soon as he said ‘17 years of coaching hockey,’ I kind of knew who it was,” Taylor said. “I truly appreciate this.”
The keynote speaker for the evening was Scott Knauf, who is president of U.P. Honor Flight.
The U.P. Honor Flight is a local hub of the Honor Flight Network—a nonprofit organization with a mission to honor and transport veterans to Washington D.C. to see and reflect on the war memorials. The honor flight takes place in just one day. The trip is free for veterans, who are accompanied by a guardian. The guardian pays a $500 donation.
“For the U.P. Honor Flight, we accept any veteran who served from 1941 to May of 1975,” Knauf said. He encouraged veterans that haven’t participated to fill out an application and said they’ll be placed on a wait list.
Knauf said the trip isn’t a vacation – it’s a “trip of therapy”.
In the 27 missions since 2011, 2,170 veterans from the U.P. have gone on an Honor Flight.
This spring the U.P. Honor Flight held a historic all-female flight, which escorted 167 female veterans to Washington D. C.
Knauf said a Native American Honor flight is in the works for September 2026.
“All three hubs in the State of Michigan are working on that flight,” he said. “We are working with the 12 tribes in Michigan—we want the Native American Veterans to fill out the application and get them sent in. Each tribe will be able to send six veterans and six guardians.”
Knauf says each trip costs well over $100,000, and that U.P. residents and organizations have helped generously.
As Knauf was wrapping up his message, Legion Post 74 Commander Leo Saint Germaine presented Knauf with $1,500 from the American Legion membership, a $500 donation from the Sons of the American Legion, and $500 from the American Legion Riders Chapter 74.
Finally, Dave Goudreau, past award recipient and American Legion member, presented Knauf with a donation from Northern Wings and an anonymous donation for a total of $750.
