photo by Dennis Dalman
After their lunch, before Mitchell has to run off to another classroom, he and his grandfather shared a hug. 

Good buddies Red and Mitchell Marthaler sat down and enjoyed lunch together on Veterans’ Day at Sartell Middle School.

Red, a Korean War veteran, is Mitchell’s grandfather. Mitchell is a middle-school fifth-grader.

They were just two of the luncheon “duos” who celebrated the contributions veterans have made to the country and the world. Students invited parents, grandfathers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and any other relatives who have served in the military. Nearly 100 photos of veterans – all related to the students – filled one wall of the lunchroom. On another end of the lunchroom, a plate setting on a small table symbolized veterans who died in wars, those missing in action or those who may have become prisoners of war. The Buddy Luncheon has become a popular annual tradition at Sartell Middle School.

At their luncheon table, Red and Mitchell made small talk and kidded one another.

“This is cool!” Mitchell said of his chance to have lunch with his beloved grandfather.

“It’s a good way to honor Veterans’ Day,” Red said.

Then Red talked about his life. Raised in Sauk Centre, he joined the National Guard in 1951, was trained as a tank mechanic and was called to active duty when the Korean War began, although he did not have to serve in that country. After two years of duty, Red returned to civilian life. Many times since, he was tempted to join the military again because he enjoyed that life and because he said he believes there is nothing anyone can do that is better than serving one’s country.

After his discharge, Red worked for creameries in Greenwald and West Union. For many years he was a cross-country independent trucker, hauling mostly produce, mainly on the West Cost. In 1965, he began work at the Jack Frost egg hatchery near Rice. Since 1980, he has been an independent sales representative for School Databooks and sells items such as student-planner books to schools, mainly in the northern part of Minnesota, as well as North Dakota.

Even though he is 80-plus years old (Red, with a grin, coyly declined to give his exact age), he has never seriously considered retiring. His wife, Yvonne, also seems to thrive on work. She works in the surgery department, four hours a day, at the St. Cloud Hospital.

The Marthalers have six children: Jeffery, Sharon, Mary, Mark, Joseph and Kent; and 14 grandchildren. Mitchell is the son of Joseph and Peg Marthaler of Sartell. They also have two others sons – Taylor, 14; and Ben, 9. All three sons are passionate about playing hockey. Joseph is a coach, and Peg enjoys figure-skating.

In fact, skating and hockey seem to run in the Marthaler blood line. Just about all of the male children and grandchildren love hockey – all except for Red, who – like most people his age – had never been exposed to the sport of hockey – an exotic game played only in foreign countries in those days.

After their lunch together, Red and Mitchell gave each other a big, warm, happy hug. The two buddies hope to enjoy many more lunches together.