Senior residence to honor vets with a breakfast

DEARBORN, Mich. — On Nov. 11, nearly 40 residents of Oakwood Common will be honored at a special breakfast to commemorate Veterans Day.

The residents, both women and men, are U.S. military veterans who served the country during wartime and peacetime since World War II.

Setting the stage for the special event is Steve Berry, Oakwood Common’s dining services general manager, who understands firsthand the significance and importance of honoring these veterans.

Also a veteran, Berry retired in 1996 as a Sergeant Major in the U.S. Army following 24 years of service in the U.S. and overseas. His final 10 years were spent as executive chef at the Pentagon, serving under five U.S. Secretaries of Defense.

“At the Pentagon, I had the opportunity to serve presidents, secretaries of defense, generals and high ranking officials from other countries,” Berry said. “However, nothing is more special than planning this breakfast for veterans at Oakwood Common. It’s a highlight of my year.”
According to Berry, veterans and their guests will be seated in the campus’ formal dining room before an honor guard from Romulus High School marches in to present and post the colors and flags. Following the singing of God Bless America, an official welcome and invocation, everyone will be treated to a full breakfast.

Berry described it as a “soldier’s plate of food” that includes a fruit cup, scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, hash browns, English muffins, biscuits and toast. The breakfast will also include servings of creamed ground beef with toast points, a familiar fare to military.

Veterans representing the different service branches will be individually recognized during the event. Among attendees will be World War II Army veteran Thomas Kopke, a 23-year resident of Oakwood Common who served in the 88th Division in Italy. U.S. Navy veterans Milton Feistel and Elmer Ligner