Veteran Of The Month Is Andrew Owens
By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews
WARSAW — Andrew J. Owens, who served with the U.S. Marine Corps, is Kosciusko County’s May Veteran of the Month.
Owens, 44, of Winona Lake, was recognized at the Kosciusko County Commissioners’ meeting on Tuesday, May 10. Kosciusko County Veteran Service Officer Darryl McDowell presented him with a certificate and read a biography on him.
It included the following information.
Owens, the son of Robert Owens and Charlotte Holley, was born in Vestal, N.Y., on May 26, 1977.
He is a 1996 Vestal High School graduate and joined the Marines in June 1996 in Syracuse, N.Y. He did his basic training at Parris Island, S.C., and later advanced military training at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
He also did additional schooling in Lawton, Okla. He was assigned to Mike Battery 3rd Battalion 11th Marines at Twentynine Palms, Calif., and Okinawa, Japan.
Owens served as clerk and Embark NCO for the battery. His tasks included performing maintenance on the M198 howitzer, preparing ammunition, firing the weapon and recording fire missions and setting firing coordinates.
Owens, a lance corporal (E-3), received several awards, including the National Defense Ribbon, Meritorious Unit Citation and Overseas Ribbon. He was honorably discharged in May 1999.
Owens then worked as a security officer in Vestal, N.Y., before moving to Warsaw. He and his wife Jennifer now live in Winona Lake.
Owens has three children, Andrew Jr., Isaiah and Alyson. He serves as the president of Young Tigers Football and Cheer.
“I want to thank everybody for this honor,” said Owens after the presentation. “I love this community and I look forward to growing more in this community.”