| Wounded soldier is honored at ceremony |  |  |
| Thursday, 12 August 2010 | ||
| by Tim Hennagir Life Editor Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Anoka Composite Squadron members have dedicated a new flag pole to honor a former cadet who was seriously wounded during his service in Afghanistan.
“To watch that flag being risen and flown again almost made me break out in tears,” Birr said. He also received a commemorative plaque at the July 20 event. Birr, a Fridley resident, was wounded last summer when a 7.62 mm round from an AK-47 assault rifle hit him from behind. The bullet exited above his right eye. “They removed the round from the computer I was sitting at,” Birr said in a recent interview. He carries the dented rifle bullet on a chain round his neck. Birr joined the U.S. Army after graduating from Fridley High School in 2008. He did his basic military training at Fort Sill in Oklahoma and was stationed in Fort Carson in Colorado until he was deployed overseas last June. He was wounded Aug. 9, 2009, while on active duty with Bravo Battery, 2nd Battalion of the 77th Field Artillery Regiment. Birr received a Purple Heart and an Army Commendation Medal from Gen. (Ret.) John Vessey, former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman. “Right now, I’m in the Warrior Transition Unit,” Birr said. “It’s a unit that a solider is attached to before he or she goes before a medical evaluation board that decides whether or not a solider will be medically retired from service or can remain on active duty status. I’m still pending with that process.” The Army created Warrior Transition Units (WTU) at its installations to provide personal support for wounded soldiers. According to a U.S. Army website, the WTU provide critical support to wounded soldiers who are expected to require six months or more of rehabilitative care and the need for complex medical management. Birr said he is still undergoing therapy at Evans U.S. Army Hospital in Fort Carson. His mother, Frieda, sat next to him during the flag pole dedication. Birr played a key role in replacing the Anoka squadron’s flag pole, which was hit by a vehicle, damaged and subsequently removed. Birr noticed the missing pole during a return visit to Minnesota and started asking about it, because he had a special U.S. flag to fly. According to Capt. George Supan, the squadron’s deputy commander for cadets and public information officer, Birr did not hesitate in making a spot donation, jump starting the fund-raising effort. Supan said a local contractor quickly offered donated materials and labor. Second Lt. Kris Brown is the Anoka Composite Squadron’s financial officer. She’s also president and chief executive officer, of Brown Technology Group, Inc., which has its company headquarters in Bethel. Brown made a donation on behalf of her company, and with the help of her husband. Leo, mentioned the flag-pole fund-raising to Steve Erickson and Lyle Dahlin, who own Interstate CM Construction. Supan said it wasn’t long before a new and much larger concrete base, four white protective bollards, lighting and a new pole were installed with help from volunteers representing IBEW Local 110, Muska Electric Co., Ground Tech and Total Fire Protection. “The flag pole project was unexpected and was not on our radar from a budget standpoint,” Supan said. “When someone puts down a contribution for such an important project it becomes top priority. We wanted to complete it as soon as possible so Matt could fly his flag. Donations were received in very short order.” According to Supan, the new flag pole’s place of honor helps identify the Anoka Composite Squadron’s location and better defines the airport’s northeast corner. “This mission was special, because it involved a person who has served our country,” Supan said. Current squadron cadets spoke with Birr after the July 20 ceremony. | ||
U.S. Army Pfc. Matthew Birr, a former Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Anoka Composite Squadron cadet and Fridley resident, his mother, Frieda, and 2nd Lt. Kris Brown, the squadron’s financial officer, share a lighter moment during the July 20 flag pole dedication at the Anoka County-Blaine Airport. Birr was wounded last summer when a 7.62 mm round from an AK-47 assault rifle hit him from behind. He played a key role in replacing the squadron’s missing flag pole, which was struck by a vehicle, damaged and subsequently removed. (Photo by Tim Hennagir)
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