Picture from left, Ron Truex, Rich Maron, Veteran of the Month Larry Burkhart, Bob Conley and Brad Jackson.

“I’m very honored and humbled that I would be selected for this,” said Larry Burkhart, The Kosciusko County Commissioners Veteran of the Month for February. “I was able to do a lot of things in the service that a lot of people never got the chance to do.”

Burkhart enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1973. Two years later, he was a part of Operation Babylift. “In 1975, we brought babies out of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. We lost less than one percent,” Burkhart recalled.

“The really sad part about that is, we went back to get adults,” he continued. “They stood there for 7-8 hours, not saying a word, never once complaining, because they new we were taking them to a place of safety.”

During his 20 years with the Air Force, Burkhart tested weapons at White Sands missile range in New Mexico, worked on the GBU-28 “Bunker Buster” at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, and spent time stationed at bases all over the world.

“I’ve been all over the world, and there’s no place better than the state of Indiana,” said Burkhart. He and his wife Gail have been married for 40 years. They have a daughter, Bobbi Jo. He has worked for the Warsaw school system for the last 22 years.

With many friends and family in attendance, the commissioners and Veteran Officers Officer Rich Maron awarded Burkhart with the Veteran of the Month plaque. “I am honored that you would even think about selecting me, and its a privilege to say thank you,” said Burkhart.