ESCANABA — Howard Seid of Rockland in Ontonagon County was honored as 2024 Upper Peninsula Veteran of the Year during a ceremony Thursday at the Upper Peninsula State Fair.

Numerous dignitaries gathered to honor Seid including Michigan’s Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II; Congressman Jack Bergman; State Representatives Dave Prestin from the 108th District, Jenn Hill from the 109th and Gregory Markkanen of the 110th, Senators John Damoose of the 37th District and State Senator Ed McBroom, and numerous members of veterans organizations.

Seid has been the western U.P. representative for the Veterans Community Action Team (VCAT) since 2016. He has worked on numerous individual issues with community veterans. For example, he worked with a veteran who had stage 4 cancer and needed a special chair so he could sit and sleep in comfort during his last days. Howard not only raised the money for the chair, but he also purchased, delivered and set-up the chair for the veteran. The veteran was able to sleep and sit comfortably and safely for the last four months of his life due to his efforts. After the veteran passed, Howard removed the chair and delivered it to another veteran in need. This is just one example of many in the extra effort he exhibits to support veterans and their medical needs across the western U.P.

Howard also drives the DAV van to the VA Hospital in Iron Mountain and works as the instructor for teaching new drivers as well as advocating for new volunteers. As an active member of the Ontonagon County Veterans Association, he attends most military funerals in Ontonagon County, serving as the rifle squad commander or as the commander presenting the U.S. flag to the next of kin. OCVA averages almost 30 military funerals a year participating for the last 10 years.

Seid has commanded many veteran color guards in local parades, organizing veterans in Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day events. Every year, he plans, organizes and hosts a Veterans Day dinner party for almost 100 veterans and spouses in Rockland, thanking them for their service. He serves as the speaker for this event each year and personally delivers meals to all veterans who cannot attend this event. It’s important to him that they know they are not forgotten.

In 2023, Seid planned and organized a Veteran Outreach event for Ontonagon County. One hundred fifty-two veterans came to access resources and gain more information on numerous veteran topics, important to them. This event had the greatest attendance of any county in the U.P. that year.

Seid is the vice chairman of the VCAT Steering Committee and is responsible for the administration of grant money given to the VCAT. In the last two years, he worked with the team giving over $265,000 in food cards to veterans across the U.P. He is currently working on dispersing another $110,000 in grant money for July. He is part of a VCAT team, donating days of his time, to send over 1,200 letters with food cards and other veteran information to help veterans who have food disparities. He also manages all calls and messages from Western U.P. veterans who contact VCAT or UPCAP and he works with them one-on-one to answer their questions, solve their problems or support their needs.

As commander of Rockland Legion Post 92, he has almost doubled its membership. For the last two years, Post 92 was No. 1 in membership in District 12 and the U.P. When the post was losing money at bingo, he reworked the entire program and, as commander, refused to close it down. He turned it around and they are now making over $10,000 a year profit serving almost 30 locals a week at their bingo game. Funding is put back into the veteran community to support additional programs and services.

Seid works with the local Marine Toys for Area Youth program to organize a visit from Santa every Christmas to deliver a toy to every child in Rockland. Almost 65 toys are given out each year.

Last year, a conservatory group from Marquette contacted Seid to create a nature walk area in Rockland for veterans in memory of a man who passed away. The family wanted to buy 40 acres and create a nature area dedicated to local veterans. He coordinated the purchase and worked with the conservatory group to create a beautiful area near Victoria Dam. Last year during the family’s visit, the nature area was dedicated to all veterans in memory of the individual who had passed. Seid did all the work with this group and humbly accepted the nature walk from the family on behalf of all veterans.

A family in Marquette had six cemetery plots in Ontonagon and wanted to donate them for local veterans who passed without a plot. Seid worked with the family and coordinated with lawyers and the local cemetery to obtain all required paperwork and then accepted the six plots in the post’s name. These plots are now available to any veteran who needs one, and he continues to work with the local funeral homes to ensure any veteran who needs a final resting place will receive it at no charge.

Three years ago, Howard worked with a local group to start a yearly veteran fishing day in a private pond. Almost 100 veterans came out to catch rainbow trout at this handicap-accessible pond. The trout are then cleaned and given to the veteran to take home. A nice lunch is also served to them as a thank you. Last year, a wheelchair-accessible sled was manufactured so that an ice fishing day can be coordinated. He is also working on a new program to take veterans out on Lake Superior fishing, and they are hoping to have it running this year.