By Patricia Bogumil
Waterford Post interim editor
Some area veterans were honored on Veterans Day with more than just a mouthful of praise.
Allen and Kathy Romanak, owners of Waterford Wash ’N Dry Coin Laundry, teamed up with Gonzalo and Mary Perez, owners of Marty’s Diamond Restaurant, to treat 117 area veterans/active military and guests to an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet hosted Nov. 11 at Marty’s new banquet hall in downtown Waterford.
The event drew both active military personnel and veterans from around the area.
Helping to spread the word and fill the tables with honored guests was Army veteran Jeff “Doc” Dentice, a former medic in Vietnam and active member of Wind Lake VFW Post 8343.
Dentice promoted the 2011 Veterans Day event online through his www.war-veterans.org web site and Facebook and also through a veterans email list he maintains.
“We wanted to give something back to the community and the vets who have served our country,” explained Kathy Romanak.
The Romanaks funded the cost for food and drink; the Perezs donated their new facility, including equipment, set up and cleanup.
This year’s Veterans Day event was a treat and honor he’s had in mind for local vets for a few years, said Al Romanak.
“It takes a special person to be a good soldier – a strong individual with a very big heart,” he explained.
Having the Perez’s new banquet facility open turned what had been a good idea into a great event.
Whether organizers will be able to host a repeat event next year will need to be worked out.
Dentice said he hopes area vets will feel welcome to support an upcoming Vets Christmas holiday event taking place at the VA Hospital in Milwaukee. Information is online at www.war-veterans.org/christmas.htm
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