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Transtrum challenges youth |
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Thursday, 12 November 2009 |
By LESLIE MIELKE
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FIRTH — A Blackfoot man who served and was injured in Iraq challenged students in Firth and Shelley to take their educations seriously. The Morning News — Leslie Mielke Nic Transtrum challenged students in Firth and Shelley to set good goals, get good training and accomplish their desired goals at the schools’ Veterans Day assemblies on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
Nic Transtrum spoke to students from schools in the two communities at Veterans Day assemblies. One hundred ten veterans attended the Veterans Day assembly at Firth High School Wednesday, Nov. 11. Student bodies from both Firth Middle School and Firth High School were in attendance.
Speaking at both the Firth and Shelley assemblies, Transtrum challenged the students to set good goals, get good training and accomplish their desired goals.
Transtrum graduated from Blackfoot High School in 1992. “When I was in high school,” he said, “I liked football, wrestling and fast cars.”
“I saw no use for government class and wondered how math class was going to apply to me,” he said. “I couldn’t wait to graduate and move out of the house.”
In 2001, he decided he wanted to be a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. Transtrum said. “I knew there were few slots and fewer make it.”
To accomplish his goal, “I first had to change my attitude,” he said. “I needed to apply myself, focus, study hard and become good at what I was signing up for.
“Once I started, I couldn’t quit,” he said.
“We trained for every possible scenario,” Transtrum said. “You want to be at least better than the enemy; there are consequences if done half-heartedly.”
“Then there comes the day that they hand you a key to a shiny new $12 milllion Black Hawk helicopter,” he said. “That’s when you realize our nation is at war.
“With training and practice over, focus needed to be on the mission, to accomplish it,” he said. “It’s the day you realize you’re a big boy.”
Speaking to the students, Transtrum said, “You have teachers, leaders, parents who are helping you train for what’s ahead in your lives; they want to see you succeed.”
“One day you’ll realize your training is over,” he said.
“Whatever you choose to do, have something you want to do, see it through and be good at it.”
Set longterm goals, he said. There will be hurdles. Have a contingency plan, a back-up plan.
“We need to examine our lives,” he said. “You have to have good goals, the right preparation and the right goals.”
Sometimes tough things happen, Transtrum said. “You can let someone else do it or you can step up.”
“It’s time to become big boys and girls,” he said.
“All veterans have served and sacrificed to defend all of our freedoms,” he said, “Don’t allow it to fall apart.”
“Speaking for all the veterans here, all we want is that our contribution matters,’” Transtrum said. “You guys are our future generation; we count on you to carry things on.”
He served as a chief warrant officer and pilot of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter with the U. S. Army 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Ky. He was assigned to an air assault unit that dropped troops into known terrorist camps and cells in Iraq. He flew 87 missions before being permanently injured.
Transtrum lives in Blackfoot with his wife and their four daughters, 6-year-old Hailey, 4-year-old Katie and 9-month old twins, Erika and Makenzie.
Veterans Day is a continuation of the celebration of the end of World War I.
The first Armistice Day on Nov. 11, 1919, marked the one-year anniversary of the end of World War I. It became a U.S. national holiday in 1938 and in 1954 was renamed to honor all veterans.
Blackfoot High School
Blackfoot High School conducted a Veterans Day assembly as well. Gene Womack, a Navy veteran and member of the local American Legion, was the keynote speaker.
The assembly featured performances by the BHS choir and band. The student council also honored Army Specialist Randy Neff Jr. who was killed while serving in Afghanistan in July. His family was also in attendance.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 13 November 2009 )
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