TAG Line

TAG Line May 29, 2020

Memorial Day Ceremony at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery

The annual Memorial Day ceremony at the N.D. Veterans Cemetery was conducted on May 25 without the normal audience of several thousand patriots due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. This virtual event was live streamed and featured remarks by Gov. Doug Burgum, Sen. John Hoeven, Sen. Kevin Cramer and Maj. Gen. Al Dohrmann, N.D. adjutant general. The keynote speaker was retired Maj. Arnie Strebe and the event was emceed by Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Jon Wymer, North Dakota National Guard.

Top photo: Gov. Doug Burgum accepts the wreath from 1st Sgt. Jake Hahne at the Memorial Day ceremony at the N.D. Veterans Cemetery. Burgum placed the wreath in honor of all of the military members buried at the cemetery.

Gov. Doug Burgum renders welcoming remarks at the annual Memorial Day ceremony at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery on May 25. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the audience viewed the event online.

Chaplain (Lt. Col) Jon Wymer renders the opening prayer for the virtual 2020 Memorial Day ceremony.

Retired Maj. Arnie Strebe, the keynote speaker for the annual Memorial Day ceremony, delivers remarks at the N.D. Veterans Cemetery on May 25.

The official party render honors during the national anthem performed by Brianna Helbling at the annual Memorial Day ceremony at the N.D. Veterans Cemetery.

Members of the N.D. Funeral Honor team fires a 21-gun salute with a World War I era French 75 millimeter cannon during the annual Memorial Day ceremony at the N.D. Veterans Cemetery on May 25.

Two N.D. Army National UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters fly over the N.D. Veterans Cemetery as a salute to Fallen Service Members buried at the cemetery and to signal the start of the annual Memorial Day ceremony.

Doug Webber performs Taps during the annual Memorial Day ceremony at the N.D. Veterans Cemetery.

Memorial Day Ceremony Video

Fargo's First Memorial Day Ceremony

From right to left Lt. j.g. Trent Barkus, Nicole Guderjohn, Fargo National Cemetery manager, and Katie Mastel, Fargo National Cemetery committee member, place wreaths at the base of the flag for the first Memorial Day ceremony at the Fargo National Cemetery on May 25.

The inaugural Memorial Day ceremony was held at the Fargo National Cemetery on May 25. Social distancing measures were taken, as veterans were honored during the event. The cemetery was dedicated Sept. 7, 2019.

Retired Army Reservist Master Sgt. Tom Linnertz, of the American Legion Post 21, performs Taps for the first Memorial Day ceremony at the Fargo National Cemetery on May 25.

Top: Senior Master Sgt. Kent Kraiter, 119th Wing, right, and retired Chief Master Sgt. Jennifer Kraiter, in pink, visit the grave of Kent’s father retired Sgt. 1st Class Gregory Kraiter, a U.S. Army Veteran of the Vietnam War and Desert Storm, as Kent’s mother, Paulette, looks on at the Fargo National Cemetery on May 25. Bottom left: Kraiter adjusts flowers placed on the grave of his father retired Sgt. 1st Class Gregory Kraiter his mother Paulette watches. Bottom right: Paulette Kraiter sits by the grave of her husband retired Sgt. 1st Class Gregory Kraiter.

N.D. Guard Soldiers Courier Tests

N.D. National Guard members are securely transporting COVID-19 test specimens from state-wide sites to the Department of Health lab in Bismarck. The N.D. Guard continues to partner with local and state agencies providing timely COVID-19 testing in the continued fight to limit the spread of the virus.

Spc. Andrew Geigle, 426th Signal Company, left, and Sgt. Logan Tandsater, 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, take a cooler loaded with COVID-19 tests to their vehicle at the Cass County Jail on May 27. The Soldiers transported the specimens to the N.D. Department of Health Department lab in Bismarck for test analysis.

Sgt. Logan Tandsater, center, and Spc. Andrew Geigle, right pick up COVID-19 tests at a Fargo testing site for transport to the lab in Bismarck on May 27.

Sgt. Logan Tandsater, 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, right, Spc. Andrew Geigle, 426th Signal Company, pick up COVID-19 test specimens in West Fargo for transport to the N.D. Department of health lab in Bismarck on May 27.

Sgt. Logan Tandsater, right, watches as Spc. Andrew Geigle loads COVID-19 test specimens into their vehicle at a West Fargo testing site on May 27.

Virtual ROTC Commissioning

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Army ROTC programs at the University of North Dakota (UND) and North Dakota State University (NDSU) conducted virtual commissioning ceremonies on May 15 and May 16 respectfully. The ceremonies were broadcast using Zoom® and streamed live on Facebook allowing family and friends of the new officers to watch and interactively participate in the festivities. Concordia College ROTC's program, a satellite of NDSU's program, celebrated the commissioning of four officers on May 4.

The virtual commissioning streams reached more than 5,000 people. Of the 22 cadets accepting their commissions during these ceremonies, 13 new lieutenants did so as members of the N.D. Army National Guard.

Top: Lt. Col. Nathan Dicks, commander of the 131st Military Police Battalion gave the keynote address via Zoom® for the commissioning of North Dakota State University (NDSU) ROTC officers on May 16. Left: Maj. Michael Humble, professor of military science for UND, administers the oath of office to 7 cadets accepting commissions via Zoom®. Right: The keynote speaker for the University of North Dakota Lt. Col. (Retired) Clarence Carrol, left, administers the oath of office to his son, UND grad 2nd Lt. Kaleb Stokes.

A monitor depicts North Dakota State University (NDSU) ROTC cadets accepting their commissions virtually by reciting the oath of office administered by Lt. Col. Matt Chitty, top left, professor of military science. Lt. Col. Nathan Dicks, bottom right, observes.

COVID-19 mobile testing site in Medora

Sgt. Travis Johnson, 81st Civil Support Team, collects information from participants at the mobile COVID-19 testing site in Medora on May 27. This was part of a four-day testing mission that spanned the cities of Medora, Beach, Hettinger and Mott, N.D. This mission is a part of the N.D. National Guard’s continued support to the state and local communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sgt. Colton Bosch, 816 Military Police Company, collects information at the mobile COVID-19 testing site in Medora on May 27.

Col. Brian Keller, deputy state surgeon, collects a COVID-19 sample from Mr. Joe Wiegand in Medora on May 27. Wiegand portrays President Teddy Roosevelt in the Medora Musical.

Sgt. Dominic Kessel (Left) and Sgt. Nicole Jochim, both of the 816th Military Police Company, collect information from participants at the mobile COVID-19 testing site in Medora on May 27.

Spc. Logan Bauer, 816th Military Police Company, directs traffic at the mobile COVID-19 testing site in Medora on May 27.

Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Keller, 81st Civil Support Team, collects information from participants at the COVID-19 testing site in Medora on May 27.

COVID-19 Testing in Williston

Top, Pfc. Theresa Ebertz, 957th Multi-Role Bridge Company, administers a COVID-19 test at mobile testing site in Williston on May 21. Bottom Left, Sgt. Brandon Bartlett, 816th Military Police Company, reviews patient information at the mobile COVID-19 testing site in Williston on May 21. Bottom Right, Pfc Regan Hartwig (Front) and Sgt. Brandon Bartlett, 816th Military Police Company, collect information from participants at the mobile COVID-19 testing site in Williston on May 21.

COVID-19 Testing in Crosby

Top Left, Spc. Ladora Schmidt, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 112th Aviation Regiment, administers a test at the mobile COVID-19 testing site in Crosby on May 22. Bottom Left, Sgt. Colton Bosch, 816th Military Police Company, works alongside local health volunteers collecting participants' information in Crosby on May 22. Right, Sgt. Kyle Brandner, 816th Military Police Company, works as a data collector at the testing site in Crosby on May 22.

COVID-19 Testing in Trenton

Top Left, Spc. Samantha Crabbe, State Medical Detachment, administers a test at the mobile COVID-19 testing site in Trenton on May 20. Bottom Left, Pvt. 1st Class Regan Hartwig, 816th Military Police Company, collects participants' information in Trenton N.D. on May 20. Spc. Adelard Hoffarth, 818th Engineer Company, collects traffic cones at the mobile testing site in Trenton on May 20.

The Loss of N.D. Guard Soldier

1st Lt. Cody Holte, 29, assigned to the Lisbon-based 815th Engineer Company was killed in the line of duty in Grand Forks serving as member of the Grand Forks Police Department. Holte enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2010 and later received a commission as a 2nd Lt. in the N.D. Army National Guard in 2015. Read Gov. Burgum and Maj. Gen. Dohrmann's statement.

1st Lt. Cody Holte in his Army and Police officer uniforms

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