Nov 12, 2008 - 04:05:25 CST
Dan Avard of Bismarck sat in his wheelchair on the new Liberty Memorial Bridge Tuesday afternoon, American flag in hand, with his two children by his side.Brenden, 7, and Kaitlyn, who will be 8 in a few weeks, had the day off from school for Veterans Day.
Not a veteran himself, Avard said he has plenty of family members who served in the military, including his uncle Carl Berger of Flasher, who was killed in action in Vietnam.
Avard said he was there, with his children, to show his support.
John Lucier of Bismarck is a veteran.
He served in Desert Storm and was wounded when the truck he was driving rolled 14 times.
Lucier was there with Steve Millner, a four-year Army vet who also served 171/2 years in the National Guard after his hitch was up.
"I am a disabled vet," Lucier said. "So this is for us."
That's just a snapshot of the many people who took time out of their daily lives on Veterans Day to honor those who served our nation.
The new Liberty Memorial Bridge, honoring all veterans, was dedicated Tuesday. A three-day celebration was held when the old bridge was opened in 1922.
That bridge was dedicated to the veterans of World War I - the war to end all wars.
The new bridge includes five overlooks, one for each branch of the military: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.
The overlooks also feature flag stations that will allow local veterans groups to fly flags on holidays.
Tuesday was the first day for that.
At both ends of the bridge, a plaza with 11 spires surround the American, North Dakota and POW/MIA flags.
The 11 spires are symbolic for soldiers standing guard around our flags.
The spires also symbolize what we now know as Veterans Day, or Armistice Day then, when the treaty to end the war to end all wars was signed -on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
Motorists traveling on the bridge and nearby can hear a historic audio tour of the bridge by tuning into 1610 AM on the radio dials.
Meanwhile, River Road will remain closed at least through the remainder of this week, according to the Department of Transportation.
Removal of debris continues from the area of the old bridge and crews will begin to drill the remaining piers to set charges that will demolish them.
Mike Kopp of DOT said the piers will be imploded sometime this week and rubble will be removed from the water with backhoes.
No firm date has been set when River Road will reopen, he said.
The audio tour will be available for several months.
George Quigly of Jamestown has been in the National Guard since 1978.
He's also the ride captain for the North Dakota Patriot Guard.
The Patriot Guard is not a motorcycle club, although it does contain members of motorcycle clubs.
Quigly said there were three or four members of the 24 members in the flag line who rode in the parade.
The Patriot Guard also provides military honors at funerals of veterans.
"It's not about us, though," Quigly said. "It's about our vets. And Veterans Day is a perfect day to do that."
Following the ribbon cutting at the bridge, Bismarck State College hosted an indoor ceremony at the new National Energy Center of Excellence.
Gov. John Hoeven, along with the mayors of Bismarck and Mandan, joined North Dakota's congressional delegation and others in making comments.
Hoeven, after noting the numerous veterans groups in attendance at BSC and at the bridge, said simply, "This is your bridge."
As Hoeven and others spoke, the Missouri River and the new Memorial Bridge visible behind them from the fourth floor of the Energy Center, Butch Olson of Bismarck was busy.
Olson, a veteran and member of the Vietnam Vets Motorcycle Club, was handing out POW/MIA pins.
Olson served in the 155th Army field artillery unit from 1969-70. He said for him, being at the bridge was nice.
But it's more than just that, he said.
"We honor them by remembering. Freedom is the gift they gave us."
(Reach reporter Brian Gehring 250-8254 or brian.gehring@;bismarcktribune.com.)
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