A night among heroes

I spent my Saturday night among some real American heroes. ​I had the privilege of serving as Master of Ceremonies for a dinner/auction in Franklin County. The event raised money for a new memorial for the Disabled Veterans of America. It's a project that is already in the works, and should be finished by the spring of next year. It will be in the city park in Union, MO.  

Pictured above, though, is the real star of the evening. 

Mr. Kenneth Sohn is a WWII veteran and former prisoner of war. He turns 91 next month. Mr. Sohn's family has been working for quite some time to secure his POW medal, On Saturday night, we were able to surprise him with it in front of a few hundred people, including his 95-year-old brother. Pretty special stuff. 

I love this picture: 

Presenting the medal is Lt. Col. David Grossman. He is a well-known author and our featured speaker for the evening, so it was a perfect fit.

I have to share a bit more about Mr. Sohn, because I was simply blown away by his sacrifice. He was fighting in the Battle of the Bulge when he was captured in December of 1944. Germans took him prisoner, along with 170 other men. They were tortured. Many of them killed. Barely given any food, he dwindled down to 70 lbs. When Mr. Sohn tells the story, he says when he was finally liberated five months later, he barely remembers what happened. The group of prisoners was down to five. Five! Unbelievable. 

It is so easy to forget the sacrifices of those who came before us, as we get caught up in the drama and challenges of our daily lives. I hope this might serve as a reminder for you, as it did for me, of true bravery and leadership. 

Here's a video of Mr. Sohn telling his story:  ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=putfWCZl9TI