WHY I GIVE THANKS: Thankful for local heroes, friends, family

By: 
Jerry Moynihan

This opportunity to share with the community about what I am thankful for could not have come at a better time. I am currently reading John Maino’s book “Fifty Strong,” a collection of the personal stories about local veterans. Reading this book, during a time when we celebrate Veterans Day, has given me perspective and reminds me of the freedoms we have in America.

I am thankful for local veterans Chuck Wellens, Wilfred Carriveau, Hubert Robenhorst, Gerald Gerndt, and the thousands of other great American veterans I have not mentioned. These heroes were mere boys from Lena, Gillett, Suring, Stiles and Oconto Falls when they went to fight for our freedom in Vietnam, Korea and many other lands far away. They were boys who answered the call. They were boys who became men so that I could have my freedom.

Their stories make me especially grateful for my wonderful life in Oconto Falls. I am thankful because their sacrifice allows me to go to a job that is exciting, challenging and, most of all, incredibly rewarding. It is a job that I get to watch kids run, jump, shoot, throw, dance, laugh, cry and so much more! I am also thankful for their sacrifice because they allow me to live in a community that supports our red, white and blue, supports our black and blue, and supports all our first responders. All because of them, I can walk around our safe, beautiful city and travel throughout this amazing country to visit family and friends.

Seeing our local veterans at the recent Veterans Day assembly at Oconto Falls High School made me also think about the little things that I am thankful for. The most important things are not money, cars, houses or things. They are the good people from this great community: friends who make booyah to share with the neighborhood; coaches who bring cookies to share with their team; parents who pick up pizza after work to bring to a parent meeting; my mail carrier, who is always pleasant every time I see her; and my assistant who has the same passion for her job as I do. Most importantly, I am thankful for my incredible family. I have a father I can visit on any given day, family and friends who are a call or text away, a daughter who goes to school in the same building that I work in so every day is “Take Your Daughter to Work Day,” a son who has chosen to pursue a life of service as a firefighter/paramedic, and a wife who will let me work 60 hours per week and still allow me to go to the Packers game!

Finally, I am thankful for the person who asked me to write this letter. How often do we take time to reflect on our lives? I can truly say that being thankful can be interchanged with being blessed, being happy, being loved and being in a life that I would not change for anything!


Jerry Moynihan is athletic and activities director at Oconto Falls High School.

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