By Sterling McGinn
Local veterans and their families were recognized and the 2024 Luce County Veteran of the Year was announced at the 11th Annual Veteran’s Appreciation Dinner held on Saturday, November 9 at the American Legion Post 74 in Newberry.
The banquet was sponsored by the Luce County Veterans Affairs Board and the Luce County Veterans Service Office with funding from the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA).
Newberry native and current Newberry High School (NHS) Athletic Director Anthony Kitzman was named the 2024 Luce County Veteran of the Year. Kitzman was honored for his dedication to the community after he returned home about 10 years ago.
Kitzman is a 2006 NHS graduate and a U.S. Army veteran. He served for six years in active duty including a one-year tour in Afghanistan.
Since coming back to Newberry, Kitzman was active with the Luce County LINK, served as commander of American Legion Post 74, serves on the honor guard and color guard, worked as a special deputy for the Luce County Sheriff’s Department, and is a member of the Luce County Veterans Affairs Board.
His award was presented by Randy Griffis.
“Anthony earned this award simply for his dedication to his hometown, a service you don’t see quite often,” Griffis said. “He steps in and volunteers where he is needed. It would seem that Anthony spends virtually every waking hour considering how he can improve his hometown, and this is on top of raising two kids.”
The late Bernard “Bun” Dwyer was awarded a posthumous Veteran Service Award for his decades of volunteer work in Luce County.
Dwyer, originally from Marquette, moved to Newberry at age 10. He was a 1932 NHS graduate. Following high school, he enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corps at Camp Pollack Lake near Rapid River.
In 1941, he volunteered for the draft and served with the U.S. Army. During WWII, he completed several stateside assignments and, in the last year of the war, was stationed in France in the 100th Infantry Division.
In his volunteer capacities, Dwyer taught local kids to skate in the “barn” ice rink. He spent several evenings a week at the rink each winter, served on the Luce County Ambulance Corps, was an active member of St. Gregory’s Catholic Church, and was also active with the American Legion.
Dwyer was a professional photographer from 1960 until the time of his death in 1985. His talents created a valuable legacy of life in Luce County during those years.
The award was presented by family friend Sterling McGinn and accepted by Jim Dwyer, a son of Bernard.
The award recipients are nominated by community members and selected by past recipients.
Prior to the address by the keynote speaker and the presentation of the awards, veterans and their families were served dinner by Becky Keene and her crew. Athletes from NHS served dinner and cleared tables that evening.
According to Luce County Veteran Service Officer, Rick Minard, there were 161 people in attendance.
David Goudreau, past Veteran of the Year recipient and owner of Northern Wings, was the keynote speaker for the evening.
Goudreau served 24 years in the military, first enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1976 and later joining the U.S. Marine Corps. He was a helicopter pilot and retired as a Major.
“Your service wasn’t about what you did—I don’t care if you were a cook, an intelligence person, a rifleman, a truck driver—it’s not about what you did on active duty, it’s about what you put on the table: Your life,” he said. “You were willing to give it all, and that is what sets you apart.”
In his message, Goudreau stressed the importance of volunteering in Newberry and the area.
“You remember that spirit of giving and self-sacrifice that you had when you joined? Don’t let that just go away, you got to bring it back,” he said. “Newberry and Luce County needs your help and volunteers. The people that have been volunteering for decades are getting tired.”
Goudreau asked each person in attendance to pick just one of the endless list of organizations that are in need of help and start by volunteering a few hours each week.
