Gackle Unit 250
Veterans Day
Veterans Day Speaker Randy Entzminger
American Legion Posts and Auxiliary Units of Gackle, Streeter, Fredonia, and Kulm co-hosted a Veterans Day community event at the Gackle Legion Hall on Tuesday, November 11, 2025. The event included a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. A program followed the meal. Approximately one hundred people attended the event.
Gackle Legion Post #250 Commander Jon Metz welcomed everyone to the event and led the attendees in the “Pledge of Allegiance.” Guest speakers were Bridger Rivinius who talked about his time at Legion Boys State this past June and Randy Entzminger who gave a presentation on “Basic Training…The Adventure Begins.” Gackle-Streeter school student Myles Martin played “Yankee Doodle Boy” on the alto sax. 2025 State Poppy Poster winners Jenna Homola, Courtney Remboldt, and Emma Heller were recognized. As veterans were leaving the event, they received a homemade card designed by Gackle-Streeter elementary school students.
Thank you to all who attended and a special thank you to all our Veterans!
Veterans Day Attendees
Elaine Ackerman, Unit 250 President
Gackle Shows Community Spirit
Gackle-Streeter School students with their books.
American Legion Auxiliary Mayer-Morlock Unit 250 of Gackle supports numerous community service projects, recently donating funds to the following organizations:
• $12,965 to Legion Post 250 of Gackle to refurbish its kitchen.
• $1,062 to the Gackle-Streeter Public Schools to be applied toward the monthly Scholastic book order to place a personal book into the hands of each elementary school student.
• $900 to the Gackle Community Food Pantry
• $900 to the Western North Dakota Honor Flight, serving veterans from western North Dakota.
• $100 to the Gackle-Streeter Public School to be applied toward student school supplies.
Western ND Honor Flight Donation Western North Dakota Board Members Crystal Strand and Patience Mosbrucker with Gackle Auxiliary member Marella Koenig (middle).
Members of the Gackle Unit are proud to support these worthy community causes.
Article and photos submitted by: Elaine Ackerman, President Unit 250
Gackle Food Pantry Donation. Pictured (l-r): Gackle Food Pantry representatives Jane Schoonover, District 4 President and Peggy Schroeder with Elaine Ackerman, President Unit 250.
Gackle Area Units Honor Veterans and Members
The American Legion Posts and Auxiliary Units of Gackle, Streeter and Fredonia and the American Legion Post of Kulm co-hosted the 106th American Legion Birthday Party / Vietnam War Veterans Day event at the Gackle Legion Hall on Saturday, March 29, 2025. Approximately 100 people attended. A light meal was served, followed by a program.
Brenda Mayer (left), recipient of a 50-year membership award and Elaine Ackerman, President Unit 250 Gackle.
Gackle Legion Post #250 Commander Jon Metz welcomed everyone to the event and led the attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance. Randy Entzminger, Gackle Legion member and guest speaker, shared an informative presentation titled “The History of the Gackle American Legion Memorial Hall.” His discourse included names and pictures of the founding members of the Gackle Legion and Auxiliary, and pictures of the building progress during construction of the Legion Hall.
The Saturday event was highlighted by the presentation of North Dakota “Welcome Home” coins to sixteen veterans who served between 1959 and 1975. The coin has a circle of 238 dots representing the known ND lives lost during the Vietnam War. 10 panels of the Vietnam Wall represent the remaining unrecovered ND MIA. The Welcome Home presentations were made by Veterans Service Officers, Jim Hilzendeger (Logan County) and Dave Bratton (Stutsman County). The audience gave a standing ovation to thank these veterans and provide the recognition they did not receive when they first came home.
Another highlight of the event was the presentation of Milestone Service Awards to Post and Unit members including a Legion 60-year and 70-year award and two Auxiliary 60-year awards.
American Legion – Gackle
- 50 Years: Luxton J. Brooks, Leslie Wirkkunen, John Henke, Michelle Pich, Rod Gilmore
- 60 Years: Wilbert Denning
- 70 Years: Darrell Ova
American Legion Auxiliary – Gackle
- 35 Years: Rachael Smaage
- 45 Years: Rebekah Wilke
- 50 Years: Brenda Mayer
- 55 Years: Doreen Mickelson
- 60 Years: Nedina Denning
American Legion Auxiliary – Fredonia
- 60 Years: Isabel Weber
Marella Presler Sebring read the elements of the “Missing Man Table” and Randy Entzminger offered prayers. Sharon Schlittenhard, pianist, provided accompaniment to the group songs “Star Spangled Banner,” “God Bless America” and “Happy Birthday.”
Thank you to all who attended!
Article and photos submitted by: Elaine Ackerman, President Unit 250 Gackle
Front (l-r): Vietnam Veterans Rodney Zaun, Kulm; Dennis Mueller, Fredonia; James Anderson, Streeter; Elmer Schlecht, Fredonia; Clifford Klundt, Gackle; Mark Dockter, Streeter and Jim Hilzendeger, Logan County Veterans Service Officer of Napoleon.
Back (l-r): Rodney Brosz, Kulm; Verlye Bjur, Kulm; Harry Krause, Gackle; Russell Gieszler, Gackle; Tim Dewald, Gackle; Loren Schroeder, Gackle; Wendel Janke, Gackle; Jay Posselt, Gackle; Dale Strobel, Kulm; Doug Wittmier, Streeter and David Bratton, Stutsman County Veterans Service Officer of Jamestown.
