Air Force veteran Mike Hebenthal shares life lessons from service at Mount Vernon Veterans Day ceremony

U.S. Air Force Veteran Mike Hebenthal spoke to the veterans who have served in many different countries and fought many different enemies during his speech at the Mount Vernon Veterans’ Day event Tuesday. He thanked them for their service, not just when they were in uniform, but the service they continued to make to their community when they returned from deployment.

“Today on Veterans’ Day, we honor not just the service that was, but the service that continues. We honor not just the battles fought overseas, but the steady, quite leadership that veterans bring every day in making our community stronger, our workplaces better and our futures brighter,” he said.

Hebenthal spoke of the lessons he learned from three tours of Iraq and Afghanistan he took during his 27 years in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve. He wasn’t sure how to put into words until reading a passage recently about life lessons.

“It said there are certain lessons in life that can only be learned through massive deviations from our normal, comfortable routines. These lessons, fundamentally, alter our perspective and better equip us to handle life’s unforeseen challenges. That’s exactly what military service does. It takes you from outside your comfort zone, sometimes very far,” Hebenthal said. “And in that crucible challenge, this comfort, and yes, sometimes danger, something remarkable happens. You develop capabilities you never knew you had. You learn to remain calm when others panic; you discover how to make critical decisions with incomplete information; and you understand the power of team where everyone trusts each other completely.”

The former teacher and then superintendent at Centerburg also explained that sometimes the best advice and guidance doesn’t always come draped in beautiful prose. Sometimes, it’s just stating the obvious and doing the best in the situation in front of you.

Hebenthal was working the night shift, loading planes overseas, when a rocket exploded near his base. As the ranking officer, others looked to him for guidance in this harrowing situation. He gave the most basic answer – “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

It wasn’t an eloquent moment, but it got his crew safely out of what could have been a very stressful situation. That quick, calm thinking is something veterans learn during service that helps them in any situation, he said.

“Remaining calm under pressure doesn’t always mean you have the perfect words. It doesn’t mean you’re suddenly transformed into some kind of movie hero who delivers inspirational speeches at critical moments. Sometimes, leadership is just about making the call that needs to be made,” Hebenthal said.

Hebenthal’s speech was just part of the honoring of veterans at the event. The Knox County Career Center JROTC cadets posted and removed the colors, the Mount Vernon High School choir sang the National Anthem, and the Mount Vernon High School band performed a medley of armed forces songs and played “Taps” at the end.

There were also placing of three commemorative wreaths on the stage at the Memorial Theater — A Gold Star Mothers wreath; one from the Lucy Knox Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution; and a Poppy Cross by members of the VFW Auxiliary. The Knox County Joint Veterans council fired off a rifle salute outside the building, as well.