veteran-of-the-month-samuel-volkers

Navy vet Samuel Volker gets emotional as he receives Veteran of the Month award

veteran-of-the-month-samuel-volkers

When Samuel Volker was told by his wife and daughter to dress up for lunch, he didn’t know what to expect – but he sure didn’t expect to be brought to tears on his living room couch.

Volker, a Navy veteran who served four years overseas, was overcome with emotion last week as he received with the Veteran of the Month Award, presented by Starks Family Funeral Homes, Mid-West Family, 97.5 Y Country, COSY-FM and WIRX.

Growing up on a farm in Missouri, Volker said he never really left the state prior to enlisting. After jumping around the U.S. for training, he hopped onboard the U.S.S. Manitowoc and eventually set sail for his first of four Mediterranean cruises to drop Marines off in Beirut, Lebanon.

“Each time we went back to Beirut, we got to see places all over the Mediterranean,” Volker said. “I got to see the pyramids, got to see the Sphinx, got to see Greece.”

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Tears continued to well in Volker’s eyes as he got choked up reminiscing on all of the sights a farm boy from Missouri got to see.

“Naples, Italy and Paloma, Spain,” he said. “Places I would have never dreamed of.”

Volker said his ship was one of the most decorated ship in the amphibious fleet, and he earned quite a few medals as well – including a Sea Service award.

“It’s just something you do … not something that you work for,” said Volker, of the medals. “I don’t even display them or anything.”

Volker has also given back in his post-military years. He has been an adjunct professor at Lake Michigan College and builds floats for Eau Claire / Sodus for the Blossomtime parade/

“Almost every year we built a float we got a first place award,” said Volker, fighting more tears. “I had a great crew that I worked with, and we all kind of ended up being family. Even to this day, we’re still family.”

Volker was nominated by his daughter, Jennifer. To nominate a veteran for Veteran of the Month, visit 975ycountry.com/veteran-of-the-month.

Watch the full interview with Matt Malone of 97.5 Y Country below:

By Ryan Yuenger
MOTM Contributor

ryany@wsjm.com