Latest news with #Weyers
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hometown Heroes: Vietnam War Veterans Day is March 29, celebrating dedication and sacrifice
FREEDOM, Wis. (WFRV) – The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 declared March 29 the day we pay tribute to our Vietnam War veterans' unwavering courage, dedication and the countless sacrifices made by them and their families during one of the most challenging conflicts in our nation's history. Local 5 News has been telling the stories of Vietnam War and Vietnam Era veterans for years during our weekly Hometown Heroes series that airs every Friday at 6:30 a.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Hometown Heroes: Menasha's Medal of Honor recipient Kenneth E. Stumpf The Fox Valley's Jerry Weyers remember the summer of 1967 very well. He calls it a turning point in his life. He attended his first two military funerals, hearing the sounds of the honor guard. It was then that he decided to leave his father's farm and join the Army. 'I knew the draft was getting hot and heavy,' Weyers told Local 5's Kaitlin Corbett. 'They're probably going to get me. So, I went and talked to my Army recruiter and he sent me down to Milwaukee, to take the test.' That test landed Weyers in electronics school, where he was trained to be a microwave radio repairman and operator. But once he got to Vietnam, that job description changed. 'They didn't tell us that for every radio, you need a tower to send a signal. And they've got me up 30 feet in the air painting a water tower for them and what are they looking for? They're looking for somebody who's not afraid of heights.' Weyers' silo-climbing skills on the farm had now made him part of the radio tower team; a dangerous job, but one that he loved. 'If you think about it, building a radio tower, you're building a landmark for the bad guys to take pot-shots at you. But we didn't think about that, we were just doing our job for our country.' Weyers got out of the Army in 1970 and went on to work as an electrician. He joined the honor guard at the Freedom VFW and displays a yearly exhibit honoring veterans at the Freedom Area Historical Society. For close to five decades, Weyers has made it his mission to honor veterans in any way he can. One more you might not expect: through music. Weyers travels to assisted living facilities playing his music, honoring veterans with songs like Taps and Amazing Grace. 'It pays tribute to their service to our country. I think it's important, and we need to honor that. Until you've been through it, no one understands what it takes and what it feels like to serve your country.' Hometown Heroes: Menasha's Medal of Honor Recipient Elmer J. Burr Weyers does know what it feels like, and it's led him to where he is today. 'All those things kind of add up, and you become who you are and what you strive for, and sometimes things work out.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Missouri's biggest toy and hobby store opens in Springfield
SPRINGFIELD, MO. – It's crunch time at the city's new Hobbytown store. After a months-long construction project, the new retailer is getting ready for a grand opening next week. 'I'm still a little nervous about getting it all done because we still got a bunch of things get out of boxes and that, but it's looking pretty good,' explained Tim Weyers, owner of Springfield's Hobbytown store. The last time we talked with Weyers, his team was in the middle of remodeling and moving into part of the long vacant former K-Mart on South Glenstone. Finally, the new location is having it's big reveal Weyers said, 'You know, I wanted something different. I wanted it to be a place where people can come in and experience it, you know, feel, feel at home, you know, if they want. The opening of new space, now Missouri's largest toy and hobby retail store, comes years after the nation's other big toy stores went out of business. Shoppers had moved online or abandoned toys altogether when video games and computers became preferred ways to have fun. Now, customers of all ages are coming back around. Weyers explained, 'We're very optimistic even already, which is a soft opening. We're seeing a lot more toys go out the door…a lot more play-type types of things. And, you know, and it's educational for the most part.' Overlooking the store is this massive mural highlighting the transportation theme of the store while paying homage to our past. 'I wanted something to reflect that works for Springfield franchise, so that's why we went for Springfield, the birthplace of [Route] 66. It catches a train car and plane.' The mural is a point of pride for the artist. Sherri Davis of Sherri David Art explained, 'That just makes you thankful that you've had the opportunity to do it and to share something with the public that you feel is beautiful. She added, 'Each one that I do is my favorite. So right now, this is my favorite!' 'Already we've had people come up and take their pictures against it that same way with the dinosau, Weyers said.' And that's what I was aiming for, you know. Come in, see what we have, and enjoy yourself while you're shopping.' The store had a soft opening a few weeks ago but is planning a grand opening celebration April 4-6. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
