Sikeston, Mo., veteran receives service award for volunteering

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The volunteer efforts of a local veteran received recognition Monday.

Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder presented Blair Moran of Sikeston with the Veterans Service Award in a special ceremony in Veterans Park. Moran was nominated for the award by Stephen Taylor of Sikeston through a letter to Rep. Ellen Brandom.

"As a young man, Blair Moran served his nation in the U.S. Army, and like many of Missouri's veterans his service didn't end when his hitch in the Army was over," Kinder said. "Instead, Blair has continued to serve Missouri and the Sikeston area, giving back to his community through his many years of work with veterans and current members of the armed services."

A longtime volunteer with Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3174 in Sikeston, Moran also has served as chaplain and chairman of the Boys State committee for American Legion Post 114. He has served as treasurer of the Sikeston Veterans Park Committee since its inception in 1991, and each year organizes the Memorial Day and Veterans Day services in Sikeston. He also is on the board of the Bloomfield Veterans Cemetery.

"Blair spends hundreds of hours each year in service to veterans and active members of the armed services," Kinder said. "He has a long history of stepping forward to serve our veterans, and he attends functions on behalf of veterans in the state Capitol and the U.S. Capitol."

Moran received a framed declaration from the lieutenant governor's office recognizing his service along with a Veterans Service Award pin.

"The same strong sense of duty and patriotism you showed in your service to your nation, you now show in your commitment to Sikeston and Southeast Missouri," Kinder said. "[This award] is just one small way our state can say thank you."