OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — With applause ringing out from family members, 91-year-old Russell “Russ” Povenz received recognition Wednesday evening at Sunset Manor, an assisted living facility in Jenison.
The ceremony, organized by Emmanuel Hospice staff, awarded Povenz with a certificate, pin and a piece of a retired U.S. flag.
“It’s really important to gather as many people as we can in order to come together and really make that a big ceremony where we can really honor the veteran,” said Emmanuel Hospice’s director of support services Matt Schipper, who explained that the award came through the program We Honor Vets.
Povenz said he served aboard a destroyer escort ship called the USS Coates, or DE-685, along with 149 other men in 1952 and ’53 when he was in the Navy Reserve.
“You got tossed around quite a bit,” he said with a grin.
Also awarded to Povenz was a gift from his family – an arrangement of photos and documents from his service, along with a photo of his wife who passed away. It left him speechless for some time.
“Oh, wonderful, I think it's great.” He said, later reflecting on his service. “There were a lot of us it did it gave up a lot do we had we had some good times and bad times one of the best is a wonderful family I got around here now.”
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