The Suring High School boys basketball team conducted its fifth Military Night on Jan. 30, competing against the Niagara Badgers. All veterans were honored, with special recognition of Vietnam veterans and, specifically, Suring graduate Russell Bahrke Jr., who was killed in action in Vietnam on Aug. 13, 1970.
This year’s ceremony featured retired Army Col. Dan Johnston, Russell Bahrke’s platoon leader during the patrol in which he was killed. Earlier in the day, Johnston talked to the junior and senior high students at Suring about U.S. military battles and the students’ direct connection to every one of them.
Between the junior varsity and varsity games Jan. 30, Johnston, retired Marine 1st Sgt. Ron Christensen and Kim Bahrke, brother of Russell Bahrke, were part of a ceremony to honor Russell Bahrke.
The Suring community choir, under the direction of Micki Carlson, performed patriotic music.
A check for $3,000 was presented to Old Glory Honor Flight by the Suring boys basketball team. The money raised was a combination of donations from the community, a spaghetti dinner that fed more than 250 people, a jersey raffle, 50/50 raffle and the students’ Freedom Friday donation.
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