Cargill salutes 2 workers for their military service

Photos: Cargill salutes employees

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Ty Greenlees/Employees of Cargill hoisted a 30x48-foot flag on Tuesday, May 2 to salute two employees who have served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Army WO1 William Goebel an his wife Havanna Goebel, left were greeted by employees.

By Ben Sutherly, Staff Writer Updated 11:41 PM Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Tech. Sgt. John Altevers didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to his Cargill coworkers last July, receiving just five days’ notice before his third deployment with the U.S. Air Force.

But Cargill made up for that with a big welcome home for Altevers on Tuesday, June 2, the first day back on the job for the 25-year-old New Carlisle man after a six-month stint in Afghanistan.

“It’s overwhelming the support Cargill provides to military members,” Altevers said, with his wife, Diana, by his side as he held their 2½-year-old son, John. “I had a feeling they’d do something.”

More than 100 of the plant’s 290 employees held flags and lined the north entrance to the plant on Needmore Road beneath a crane-hoisted flag measuring 30 feet by 48 feet.

They cheered not only Altevers, a four-year employee, but also Army Reserve Warrant Officer Bill Goebel, 47, of Harrison Twp., as he pulled up in a pickup. Goebel, who has worked at Cargill since August, is being deployed to Iraq for up to 24 months.

Goebel’s wife, Havanna, wiped tears from her eyes upon seeing the show of support.

Goebel, wearing his camouflage military fatigues, made a special trip to Cargill for the ceremony.

“I never expected anything this big,” said Goebel, who also served tours of duty in Iraq during the Persian Gulf War in the early 1990s and Bosnia in 1995.

Before Goebel departed in his truck for Wisconsin in preparation for his deployment, Altevers shook his hand and saluted him.

Contact this reporter at  (937) 225-7457 or bsutherly @DaytonDailyNews.com.

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