On a day set aside to acknowledge members of the Armed Forces, one soldier honors his civilian heroes back home. A member of the US Army Reserves 315th Engineer Battalion provided a gift to Sioux Falls Fire Fighters this Veterans Day.
Michael Havlovic is a Fire Apparatus Operator for Sioux Falls Fire Rescue. He is a Sergeant 1st Class currently serving in Afghanistan. Havlovic had a United States flag flown over a command post at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan on September 11th. Two months later on Veterans Day, a fire captain presented that flag to Fire Chief Jim Sideras.
"I’m really humbled and honored to get this. I think this is a good reminder that heroes aren’t on the playing field. Heroes are on the battlefield. They’re in the fire stations. They’re patrolling our streets, and they’re really protecting the public, and this is a good reminder of the sacrifices that heroes make every day," Sideras says.
Sioux Falls Fire Rescue members say they honor Sergeant Michael Havlovic for his service as a military member. Havlovic hopes to return to American soil by Christmas.