By Melissa Wentarmini
Associate Editor
At the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center’s Veterans Day Hall of Heroes ceremony, the spotlight shone on a veteran whose story is woven into the fabric of Alger County.
Michael Dugas of Munising — awarded two Bronze Stars for valor in Vietnam and known locally for decades of service to fellow veterans — was among the four honored this year.
This year’s induction was part of the VA’s inaugural Hall of Heroes celebration, recognizing its first-ever class of honorees for extraordinary courage and service.
Because of high interest and strong community response, the event was moved to a larger site, Venue 906 in Kingsford, where it was held on Nov. 11. Families, fellow veterans and invited guests gathered to celebrate the inaugural inductees, including Dugas, whose achievements embody the purpose and spirit of the program.
When Dugas first learned he had been nominated, he didn’t expect to hear his name among the final four.
“I was simply amazed,” he said. “My veterans service officer, Becky Burns, asked me if I’d be OK with it. I thought about it a little bit and said, ‘Well, yeah’ — because I didn’t think I’d ever get it. It’s all the U.P. and part of Wisconsin. I didn’t think I had a chance at being one of the first four.”
The Hall of Heroes program recognizes veterans who demonstrate exemplary courage in battle or extraordinary service after returning home. According to Katie Maxon, chief of public affairs for the Iron Mountain VA, the program aims to “honor and recognize veterans who have exhibited extraordinary valor and service … ensuring their legacy is preserved and remembered.”
Seventeen nominations came in this year; four individuals were chosen.
The criteria are strict. In one nomination category, inductees must have earned significant military honors such as the Silver Star, Purple Heart or Bronze Star with “V” device for valor. Dugas received two Bronze Stars with Valor — one for actions on June 10, 1969, another for Sept. 29, 1969 — both awarded for bravery during fierce firefights in Vietnam’s Central Highlands.
In the other category, veterans are recognized for outstanding post-service contributions to their communities. Dugas easily meets that standard as well.
A record of bravery
During the June 1969 firefight, Dugas exposed himself to enemy fire to return fire on hostile positions, buying time to move the wounded to safety.
“On several occasions, he personally helped move some of the wounded,” his citation reads.
In September of that same year, serving as acting platoon sergeant, Dugas moved under fire to direct his men, organizing a rescue for a soldier lying exposed in the open. These actions reflect the kind of courage that forms the cornerstone of the Hall of Heroes.
Dugas speaks about those moments without drama. What he remembers more clearly is the bond that shaped him as a soldier and as a man.
“You get so close to those veterans. You become like brothers,” he said. “Sometimes you’re closer than your regular brother. And that has stuck with me.”
He served alongside two childhood friends from Munising — boys he went to grade school and high school with, got into trouble with, even volunteered for the draft with when one was called up.
“The three of us went together,” he said. “We spent basic training together, we went to advanced infantry training together, we went to Vietnam together.”
A captain nearly separated them because of wartime casualty rules but ultimately placed the trio in the same platoon.
“We stayed together all through Vietnam,” Dugas said. “That camaraderie is why I’m still so much with the veterans.”
Service after service
After returning to Munising, Dugas dedicated himself to serving veterans across Alger County. He became a charter member of Vietnam Veterans of Alger County Chapter 237, holding nearly every office over 25 years: board member, vice president, president and treasurer.
He spent a decade volunteering at Jacobetti Veterans Home’s Friday night fish fry. He has served more than 20 years with the honor guard, performing nearly 300 funerals.
“I think I’m pretty close to 300 now,” he said. “We had quite a few this year. We’re all getting up there in age. We’re not young veterans anymore.”
Perhaps his most enduring contribution is the Alger County All Veterans Memorial at Bayshore Park — a project he helped create and has spent decades maintaining.
“One of the main things I told my Vietnam Veterans president a long time ago is that we’ll always be at the memorial,” he said. “Taking care of the memorial, putting stones up, getting all the orders, picking them up, bringing bricks down at the beginning of the year.”
The work is personal to him; he grew up half a block away.
“My mom and dad owned the Gilmar Motel, right across from where the car wash is now,” he said. “That’s where I lived.”
Because of these contributions, Dugas received the 2023 Alger County Veteran of the Year Community Service Award. But to him, these roles aren’t about recognition — they’re about commitment.
“I’ll always try to help the veterans out there,” he said. “Some are in need of a lot of help right now.”
A call to the next generation
One worry lingers in his mind. Across the U.P., American Legions, VFW posts and service organizations are struggling to recruit younger veterans.
“We are in dire straits of the younger generation,” he said. “The commitment is getting hard for us, the older generation.”
The Vietnam Veterans group has tried ads, free meals and open invitations. Few came.
He believes part of the challenge is generational: “I don’t think the veterans in the past conflicts … had the real closeness of the brotherhood that we had.”
Still, he sees glimmers of hope.
“I think I just heard that we have two guys coming into the honor guard, just out of service,” he said. “That would be fantastic.”
The message he hopes to pass along is simple: “I hope they realize it’s the right thing to do. The older generation — we’re getting past our time. Somebody is going to have to step up.”
At the Hall of Heroes ceremony, Dugas found himself moved not just by his own recognition but by the veterans beside him.
“I was very impressed with the other three candidates,” he said. “They were three very good veterans. It was nice to learn some of their stories too.”
He brought a small display of his own military memorabilia. Staff had prepared a table for each inductee.
Maxon said the ceremony aims to create a moment families and communities can share.
“It’s a heartfelt event that brings together families, friends and community members,” she said. “It underscores the honor and respect owed to the inductees.”
A legacy rooted in duty
Dugas paused before saying what he hopes people will remember about him.
“That I was a caring, active guy … trying to help our veterans,” he said.
He still spends summers at camp on the Tahquamenon River, hunting and returning to town whenever someone needs him for honor guard or memorial work. His wife teases him: “Who’s going to do your funeral?” He jokes back, but the question speaks to the heart of his life’s work.
In the Hall of Heroes, his story now stands permanently alongside others who served with courage and lived with purpose. Maxon said the program exists in part to highlight exactly that.
“Mike’s story shows that service does not end when military service concludes,” she said. “It demonstrates that the values of duty, honor and commitment are timeless.”