Tom Polesnak
Editor’s Note: The following is part of a series of articles profiling The Inter-Mountain’s staff.
ELKINS — Tom Polesnak had a full military career before becoming part of the pressroom and mailroom team at The Inter-Mountain.
Polesnak served 20 years in the Air Force, and was active during the Vietnam conflict, both Gulf Wars and the Bosnian War. During his time in the service, Polesnak was awarded approximately 20 medals.
“I was in Bosnia from December ’97 to April ’98, while I was with the Air Force. And I met Sen. Chuck Robb, and we were having dinner together. I told him I was originally in the military during the Vietnam era. He said, ‘Aren’t you kind of old to be over here?'” Polesnak said, laughing. “Because I had just turned 51.
“And then Sen. John Glenn also came there. But I had to chase him out of there real quick because there was a thunderstorm coming. I was a weather forecaster and said, ‘You better get him out of here quick.’ About 15 minutes after they left the whole sky opened up.”
Polesnak is proud of his military experience.
“The most important things in my lifetime are my 47 years with my wife Nancy, and my 20 years with the Air Force,” he said.
Polesnak began working at the newspaper in 2016.
“This is my fifth year with The Inter-Mountain,” he said. “We’ve got a good group back there. I enjoy working with them. If we see the other person having a little problem, we help him or her out. You’ve got to have a good team. That’s the main thing.
“I run the inserting machine, and now we put the mailing labels on the papers,” he said. “I enjoy being part of the team back there. As long as the inserting machine runs fine, I’m a happy camper.”
He said he was very impressed and interested when the newspaper reached a significant milestone not long after he began his employment.
“The most memorable experience for me was the 125th anniversary of The Inter-Mountain (in 1997). I had been here about six, seven months at that time. I thought that was a really interesting thing,” he said.
In his offhours, Polesnak enjoys keeping his mind active.
“I’m a puzzle freak. I’ve always been into that. I was into model trains earlier, but now, if I have free time, I like to work on puzzles,” he said.
He also encourages everyone who can to take the COVID-19 vaccinations.
“I highly recommend everyone to get the vaccine. I had it, age 74, and had very little reaction,” he said. “Even if you have a bad reaction, it’s better to miss a few days of work then to miss the rest of your life.”
"had" - Google News
April 05, 2021 at 11:08AM
https://ift.tt/3cPRwYR
IM's Polesnak had a 20-year Air Force career - The Inter-Mountain
"had" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2KUBsq7
https://ift.tt/3c5pd6c
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "IM's Polesnak had a 20-year Air Force career - The Inter-Mountain"
Post a Comment