The Veterans Club at Encanterra in Queen Creek honored local veterans this morning with the club’s annual Veterans Day breakfast and pinning ceremony.
More than 200 people attended the Veterans Day breakfast at the Encanterra Country Club, including veterans’ spouses and friends. Last year, about 80 people attended, according to the club's founder.
“It was a little smaller because of COVID last year, but it’s still pretty big,” said Ted Eckmann, club founder and board member. “It’s grown every year.” He founded the veterans club in 2010 when a member of the firm who owns the Encanterra Country Club suggested he do so.
In addition, members of the club placed 1,000 flags around the property early Thursday morning as they do every Veterans Day, Memorial Day and Fourth of July. The flags stay up until 5 p.m.
The Veterans Club at Encanterra currently has about 200 members and 10 board members. The club’s mission is helping veterans in need.
There are three primary organizations the Veterans Club at Encanterra supports, but they are always willing to help others.
“We have three, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop at that,” said Jerry Kolesiak, president of the club. “We are always looking at new organizations that need our help. We do what we can to provide our assistance to them.”
On Dec. 23, the Veterans Club at Encanterra will deliver presents to vets at Arizona State Veterans Home in Phoenix.
Before the breakfast buffet, the Encanterra Chorale performed three songs: “Tribute to Armed Forces,” “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and, finally, “God Bless America.”
During the first song, flags representing branches of service in the military were brought in one by one. Attendees who had been in each branch stood up as the flag was brought in.
The chorale ended “God Bless America” with an instrumental version of “Taps.”
During the breakfast, Kolesiak gave his comments on Veterans Day. He talked about the history of Veterans Day, and how it began when World War I ended on Nov. 11, 1918. He also honored the thousands who served and did not return home.
The breakfast has happened every year since the club was formed, and this year for the first time there was a pinning ceremony for veterans who served from Nov. 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975. After breakfast, attendees went outside where board members and the chairperson of HOHP (Honoring/Hiring/Helping Our Heroes of Pinal County) handed out pins to eligible veterans and surviving spouses.
HOHP and health insurance company Humana supported the event They help with other events that the Veterans Clubs of Encanterra hosts, including the Charity Golf Tournaments, which happens in the spring.
Ron Williams, veteran executive at Humana, said they help with the breakfast because “A veterans pinning event in my role takes precedence over any other event because it is to honor those, especially on Veterans Day.”
Williams is a veteran himself. He served from 1982 to 1991 and he was with the National Guard for three years after 9/11.
The vice president of the club, John Hottinger, is happy with how this year’s event turned out.
"The breakfast could not have been better,” said Hottinger. “From chorale to the pins, it was touching and personal. A large number of the veterans experienced another era of divisiveness. A period where you came home to silence from friends or screams from strangers. I could feel in the room during the national anthem and Pledge of Allegiance, the unison of pride that all felt in our country. I was a little surprised and gratified by the number of veterans in line for their pins. Lots of veterans just want to forget. Their right. I think vets of era feel they are getting that ‘thank you for your service’ they missed 50 some years ago.”
Encanterra Club is located at 36460 N. Encanterra Drive. The Veterans Club at Encanterra website is here.
