MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — Luxemburg-Casco High School honors veterans and their military graduates that never made it home.
- Jesse Thiry and two other LC grads were killed in the War on Terror.
- Now LC High School honors the fallen, their families and other veterans before one football game every year.
- Sue Thiry says that it means so much that the community has not forgot her son.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Friday night brings us a game between two teams that played in the state championship last year, but also something much more powerful. In Luxemburg, the community prepares to unite around sport and honoring sacrifice.
Sue Thiry's step-son, Jesse Thiry, graduated from Luxemburg-Casco high school in 2000 and then joined the marines.
"Okay, he's going to go away for 4 years and do his stint, then he's coming home,” Sue remembered. “And then 9/11 happened."
In 2004, Jesse was deployed in Iraq.
"My husband came to my work and told me Jesse was gone,” Sue said. "The heartbreak and the pain, is unimaginable."
Jesse was killed during combat on April 5th, 2004.
In the following years, LC grads Luke Zimmerman and Dean Opicka were also killed fighting in Iraq.
"The community was saying, 'How many? How many is this little town and this little community going to lose?',” said Sue.
The school began to honor them annually before a game, along with other local veterans.
On the field this year, Korean War veteran Anton Treml will join veteran Vernon Kinnard and the families of the fallen.
"It was alright. We had good times and bad,” Treml recalled of his service. "I feel good. If you want to honor me, I'll be glad to do it."
For Sue Thiry, it's an event to honor all men who fought and those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
"You know, people think of them as heroes, which I guess they are,” Sue said. “But in my eyes, that's my son."
Sue says after the event a few years ago a referee ran over to her and gave her a big hug. The man told her he lost a brother in the war and the ceremony meant so much to him.
