November 10, 2025

Honoring the Veterans in Our Lives at EveryStep

 DES MOINES, IOWA  --  This year we asked EveryStep employees to share who they are thinking of and thankful for on Veterans' Day.  Here are the names, faces, and stories that we will be thinking of today.

  

Mellisa Huyser

"My father served during WWII in the European theater with the Army.  He achieved the designation of 2nd Lt. and worked behind the front lines, maintaining records, ordering supplies, and helping to determine soldiers' physical status and ability to move forward to fight on the front lines.  His name was Robert Warren Phipps, and is pictured in France and back home with my mom.  My uncle, Cecil Phipps, volunteered for the Korean War and soon after landing had his unit overrun by the Chinese, and he spent 33 months as a POW in a Chinese war camp.  He is pictured with the telegram sent to his mom after his capture, and being greeted by the mayor and his parents after his return home.  At one point he weighed 75 pounds and has told us that often his meals were a thin gruel made of wheat or rice and filled with bugs.  He has said that every day men in his building would die from pneumonia and starvation because they refused to eat the gruel.  Every morning their captors would force them to determine who was dead and carry them outside tand  dig a grave for the bodies.  After his time in captivty he said he would eat whatever he wanted to, which he still does at the age of 95.  I also had two aunts serve as WACs (Women's Army Corp) during WWII, and another uncle in the army,  All these service members were from one family!"

Lauren Naert

 

"Veterans and service members mean the world to me- coming from a big family of military.

My husband Michael Naert is active with the Army out of camp dodge and will be promoted to Captain in December. 

He was in the guard and ROTC at ISU and commissioned in 2021. He signed a contract a couple months ago to stay on for another 4 years.

My older Brother, Connor McCann is a pilot for the AirForce, stationed in Fort Walton Beach in Florida. He is currently on a deployment in Singapore. His wife is still in Florida with their 5-month-old son. We anticipate his deployment to end late spring. He will stay in Florida for many more years, I believe 6? He will deploy every 2 years so he will be very busy for the remainder of his contract. I know he would like to retire when his time is up and look at flying commercial in the Midwest to be closer to all his family and his wife's family. Connor went to Iowa state and did the ROTC program for the AirForce. 🙂

My father, Troy McCann was a West Point Army Graduate and retired as a captain. He served 8 years.

My Uncle, Bruce McCann retired as a Major with the Army. He served 19 years. 

My Uncle, Kevin McCann retired last fall as a Colonel with the Army. He was out of the pentagon in his final years. He served 35 years. 

My Grandpa, Patrick McCann in an AirForce Veteran.

My late Grandpa, Robert Lowe was an AirForce Veteran.

Many of my father's side has veterans from his side that I am unfamiliar with directly but am aware of many on my paternal grandmother's side (grandmothers' brothers I believe). As I said- BIG military family! We are proud of those who serve and sacrifice their time for our country."

Tray Wade

 

"My dad, who served in both the Air Force and the Navy ... My best friend, who lived with us after his mom passed, and was like a brother to me.  Troy Franzen, served 20 years in the Army with multiple tours overseas."

Bobbie Monner

Dennis Carlson is an Iowa National Guard veteran who served in the Vietnam War.  He's pictured with his grandchildren after returning from an Honor Flight to Washington, DC.

Becca Johnson

"On Veteran’s Day, we celebrate my husband, Warrant Officer Andrew Johnson. Mr. Johnson has dedicated over 18 years of service to the Iowa Army National Guard, including two tours in the Middle East. We are grateful for his service and proud of the work he and his fellow soldiers do to keep us safe."

 

 

 

Gena Fernandez

"I would like to recognize my brothers, Genaro M. Mata, and Javier H. Mata for Veteran’s Day. My brother Javier served a short term in the U.S. Army, but it was during the Gulf War in 1990. Javier was in the 82nd Airborne being with some of the first to be deployed to Saudi Arabia. He passed away in 2019 and is very missed. My younger brother joined the U.S. Army right out of high school in 1998 and retired in 2022. During those 24 years of service, he served in multiple capacities and several tours in Iraq & Afghanistan. He was a black hawk pilot, retiring as a Chief Warrant Officer Four in the U.S Army Airborne."

Pam Kracht

My Uncle John served in Vietnam (in fact he was there when I was born).  He is my mother's youngest brother and when I was growing up, he and his family lived about a 5 minute walk from my house.  I loved spending time there with my "baby" cousins who were 8+ years younger than me and with him and my aunt.