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Air Force veteran honors local soldiers
From left, Judy Vornsand, Ernest Baumgart, Jr. and Debra Rerich display a frame of pictures of family members of Vornsand and Rerich, who are currently serving in the U.S. military. The frame hangs on the wall to the entrance to Baumgart Agencies to show the agency’s support of family members who serve in the U.S. Navy and overseas.
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By Jacob Truchard, Staff Writer
Hanging inside the entrance of Baumgart Agencies is a large frame with pictures representing people who are special to the employees working inside.
The picture frame displays three individuals who are representing the community while serving in the U.S. military.
What makes these servicemen and woman special to Baumgart Agencies is that the soldiers are indeed family members of Baumgart employees.
Ernest Baumgart Jr., owner of Baumgart Agencies, said he is happy to have the picture displayed at the entrance of the building because of their service to the United States.
“I have always been favorable to the military and have known these three kids for a good while,” Baumgart said.
Baumgart was active in the military himself as a member of the U.S. Air Force during the war in Korea and served in the reserves as a major for 18 years. Prior to that he served four years in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at Texas A&M in College Station.
One of the featured individuals is Lietenant Bryan Heintschel, who graduated from Columbus High School in 1998 with honors and was a member of the football and baseball teams.
He graduated from Texas A&M with a Bachelor’s Degree in bioenvironmental science and entomology. Heintschel worked for one year and returned to A&M to earn a Master of Science degree in entomology in 2006.
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in November 2006. He was later sent to Rhode Island for officer training.
Bryan and his wife, Jill, live in Jacksonville, Fla. where he is a medical entomologist at a naval base. He is currently serving a seven-month tour of duty in Iraq and is attached to a division of the U.S. Marines.
“Bryan was always intrigued by the military but wanted to get his degrees first,” said Judy Vornsand, Bryan’s mother.
She added that over the past couple of years, he has told her about how he loves the discipline and organization that the military represents.
“He is always the type of kid that if you ask him to do his all, he will and much more,” Vornsand said. “He will do his job to the best of his ability no matter what.”
Vornsand said that with Bryan’s passion for his service in the military over the past two years, she would not be surprised if he made a career out of it.
Baumgart added that he observed Bryan showing great character during his Cardinal football days and his years as a student at A&M.
“He was an outstanding student at Texas A&M,” Baumgart said. “I was also impressed with his work ethic as a football player here in Columbus. He played as a center and was small in size but played hard. He has my highest recommendation in anything that he will do.”
Also pictured is Petty Officer Second Class Theresa Vornsand Seals who has spent nearly a decade in the navy, enlisting after she graduated from Weimar High School in 2000.
After basic training in Illiinois, Theresa trained to become an information technician. Theresa’s first assigned duty was at Annapolis, Md. where she received further training in the field.
She was later assigned to the USS Mahan, a naval destroyer.
“She received countless awards for her work there for her outstanding job performance,” said Judy Vornsand, Theresa’s stepmother.
Theresa is currently stationed in Norfolk, Va. where she will complete her 10-year enlistment.
“She plans to make the Navy her career,” Judy Vornsand said. “It has done amazing things for Theresa. She has grown as a person and has given her more self confidence, responsibility and work ethic.”
Judy said that from what Theresa has told her, she will most likely go into officer training school and may advance further in a different field within the military.
“She wants to go to college, though, while in the navy and major in financial planning,” Judy said.
Baumgart said for as long as he has known Teresa, she has been an upstanding kid with quite a bit of potential.
Finally, Specialist Kyle Hudec is the son of Franklin and Theresa Hudec and is a 2003 CHS graduate.
He is married to Alex Raabe Hudec, Debra Rerich’s daughter. Alex is a 2006 CHS graduate.
Before joining the U.S. Army, Hudec attended Wharton County Junior College and Houston Community College while working part time with respiratory care services and as a home oxygen technician.
Kyle joined the U.S. Army in February 2006. There he received basic training at Fort Jackson in South Carolina with Alpha Company, First Battalion, 13th Infantry Regiment in the transportation and support division.
Kyle’s advanced individual training was completed in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. where he graduated with honors in mechanical maintenance training in the Ordinance Corps.
Kyle’s specialty is working as a wheelchair mechanic and in automotive electrical systems repair.
Kyle completed his first overseas tour of duty at Camp Humphreys, South Korea. While he was there, he received three Army Achievement Medals and an overseas service ribbon. He was then transferred to Fort Lewis, Wash.
Kyle married Alex in May of this year. He was later deployed to Iraq in August where he will serve his last year in the military. When discharged, he will reside with his wife in Portland.
Baumgart said he has known Kyle’s family for a long time, including Kyle’s mother who treated Baumgart’s mother while she was in a rest home years ago.
Baumgart said he is proud of Kyle’s service in the military along with all his accomplishments and that he is married to an exceptional person in Alex, Debra’s daughter who he has watched grow up and become successful.
“He is one of the most patriotic people I have ever met,” Debra said. “He is so proud to serve his country. I am happy that he and Alex met and that he is my son-in-law.”
Baumgart employees take pride in honoring these individuals for their bravery, accomplishments and service and hope everyone who walks into Baumgart Agencies has an opportunity to see what these soldiers mean to their families and colleagues.
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