Carlton County had four young people directly involved with the events surrounding the funeral of former president Gerald Ford. Considering how many people are enlisted in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines - the odds of being a part of such an exclusive event is, well, almost nil.
But Ryan Johnson, Erica Smith and Lindsey Fistler, who all graduated from Cloquet Senior High School, and Jason Darby, who graduated from Wrenshall, got to play an active role in honoring a former leader of our country. Is it a coincedence that these young service people just so happen to hail from Carlton County?
Absolutely not.
While Minnesota doesn't have the highest number of military recruits in the nation - we certainly seem to have some of the best and most dedicated. Along with Johnson, Darby, Smith and Fistler, it seems we often see someone from this area do something eminently worthwhile during their time in whichever branch of the military they serve in.
The one thing that sets our local service people apart from the rest of the country is their attitude. It's difficult to tell if it's just our laid-back Minnesota style and mannerisms or their Midwestern work ethic, but it's apparent many military folks from northeastern Minnesota go about their service in a level-headed, go-with-the-flow attitude. Upon their return from Iraq and Saudi Arabia last year, brothers Seth, Trace and Trent Mowers, along with close friend Robbie Hanson, spoke about their recent military assignments as "just doing their job." Cloquet's Jeremy Johnson recently received a medal for saving several lives during an oil derrick explosion while serving in the Navy off the coast of Iraq. He spoke about it as though anyone would've put themselves in danger to rescue people they didn't even know. Former Cloquet resident David Sell served with the Air Force in Afghanistan simply because he wanted to make the world a better place.
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But these are Carlton County people we're talking about, and for some reason this area pumps out military standouts by the gallon. Their pride in their country only rivals our pride in being able to call them our neighbor. No matter which way you lean in the political arena, it's impossible not to be proud of our local servicemen and women.
Mat Gilderman
