by April Scheinoha
Reporter
Several times, Curtis Zoller encouraged the crowd to thank a veteran. Zoller and his wife, Anna, are military veterans who provided the keynote speech Friday, Nov. 10 at the Veterans Day program at Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls.
Curtis told attendees to thank a veteran for the sacrifices they’ve made. He also reminded them about the sacrifices made by veterans’ families.
The military opened doors for the Zollers personally and professionally. Anna said she always wanted to do something more, something bigger. She dropped out of surgical technician school to join the military and came back as a surgical technician and nurse. Anna said signing on that dotted line was one of the greatest things she had ever done.
Anna met Curtis while they were serving in the Army National Guard. He had joined the Guard as an avionics mechanic. They eventually deployed with a drone program, back before many people even knew what drones were.
Along the way, the Zollers gained experience that served them well in their future careers. Curtis eventually became an associate dean of aerospace and agriculture at Northland Community and Technical College. After serving as an associate dean of transportation at Northland, he now serves as a consultant in higher education. Anna continues to work casually as a surgical nurse. They are also small business owners.
While Curtis served some of his deployments overseas, Anna cared for the couple’s children back home. People don’t often talk about the families left behind while a veteran is serving abroad. “Bottom line for us: What you miss at home is the reason you do what you do as a soldier,” Curtis said.
Service members also serve on behalf of others outside of their families. Curtis emphasized the security provided by the military, noting the types of conflicts experienced in other countries.
“We’re very, very blessed to not have a major conflict on American soil, and my opinion is that that perspective is not lost on us, but it makes us weaker as a nation because we don’t understand, you know, what it actually means to be in that kind of trial or tribulation on a daily basis,” he said. “I just can’t emphasize enough how much we have to thank the soldiers that are out there, thank the veterans that are around us to make sure it stays that way for the foreseeable future.”
Curtis added that American citizens are lucky and spoiled, and they need to thank veterans for the sacrifices they’ve made and the sacrifices that their families have made. He said their contributions are immense and we have to continue to appreciate their service to this country.