Holly Post Office Renamed to Honor Veterans
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 12, 2021)
Holly, MI – A ceremony was held on Veteran’s Day to rename the Holly Post Office to the Holly Veteran’s Memorial Post Office. The re-naming required an Act of Congress, which passed on Dec. 21, 2020. Pandemic concerns delayed the official re-naming, though Veteran’s Day seemed a perfect time as dozens gathered at the VFW Post for the ceremony.
Congressperson Elissa Slotkin, who represents the 8th District and lives in Holly, championed for the re-naming along with a committee of volunteers from throughout the area. “This to me is what Holly’s brand is,” she said. “You drive in off Exit 98 and you can’t help but see that this is a community that recognizes its veterans,” she said. “Just imagine you’re driving down East Holly Road. What’s the first thing we see, the yellow ribbon tree in front of the elementary school. Before that you’re going past the Karl Richter Center. And if you take a second to research who Karl Richter was and what he did, that is dedication to country above anything else.
“Inside the Karl Richter Center we have one of the only volunteer run veterans resource centers. I know a lot of those guys were very involved in getting this done, and do everything from driving vets to their appointments in Ann Arbor to everything in between. And then of course we have our Federal Cemetery along with Lakeside.”
Slokin explained that Great Lakes National Cemetery is the seventh busiest in the nation, burying over 300 deceased veterans in October alone.
The ceremony included a series of elected officials, local veterans, and local US Postal Service leaders excited about the honor. Holly Post Office Officer in Charge Robin Rogers introduced the speakers, and District Manager Richard Moreton spoke about the resiliency of the postal workers who kept going through the pandemic. Representatives from local VFW and American Legion organizations spoke as well about the importance of recognizing veterans. And County Executive Dave Coulter also made remarks, honoring the over 60,000 veterans that call Oakland County home.
Holly Area Schools Superintendent Scott Roper spoke with pride about the students that go on to military service and how the school district works with the Holly Area Veterans Resource Center to provide them with heartfelt community send-offs when they head off to do their duty.
Roper said his father had fought in Vietnam. He passed away in 2015. “The dedication of the Holly Post Office as the Holly Veterans Memorial Post Office is something my father would appreciate and admire,” he said. “This community and this school district place a tremendous value on the courage, pride, determination, selflessness, and dedication found in all Veterans.”
A plaque was presented to be hung on the Post Office building, located at 108 West Maple Street in Downtown Holly.
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