in an organization that gives a little spirit
to Veterans who have given much, much
more for the service of their country.
Walleyes For Wounded Heroes is a
501 C3 non-profit organization aimed at
giving a memorable experience through
the art of big lake fishing to disabled,
Purple Heart recipient Veterans.
“We take Veterans who have earned
the Purple Heart for a combat injury on
Lake Erie in Port Clinton, Ohio fishing
for free. All they have to do is get there.
We pay for their cabins and their food.
We have 52 Charter Boat Captains who
take two people per boat out on Lake Erie
to catch some HUGE walleye, 8, 10, 12 pound walleye!”
I can easily see that this organization is near and dear to Marty’s
heart. He is a Veteran himself, having served 4 years in the United
States Marine Corps. He understands the sacrifice these brave men
have made during their service to their country and he does not let
himself forget all that they have done. Marty also explains that it is
more than just fishing. It is also about healing.
“The guys sit around telling their war stories and it is a healing
thing. We have a Pastor there; we have a Doctor and a Nurse there.
There are a lot of us Marines like Fred Lohman and Gary Jones that
helped put it together and a great civilian guy, Joe Stelzer, as well as
many others. This year we took 104 Purple Hearted Vets up there and
fished Wednesday through Sunday.”
Marty O’Connor has accomplished a lot of things during his time
and continues forging ahead living his life the best way he can. He
is a family man first and everything else second. He is a husband to
wife Angie, his wife of over 20 years who is the Community Wellness
Director at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital and also serves on the Healthy
Yankton Committee. He is a father to Daniel and to Daniel’s twin
sister Kayla. And speaking of Daniel, Marty has chosen his son to
accompany him August 16 on a trip to Washington DC to visit the
White House.
Marty will be part of a delegation of Nebraska leaders and
businessmen who will receive breakfast at the White House as well as
a complete tour of the historic landmark. Marty says Daniel is very
excited to be a part of this occasion!
Marty’s career has brought to
him 530 death investigations and
126 autopsies. He is also an elected
official holding the title of County
Supervisor. He has held that
position for 16 years and having
just been re-elected in the primary
election another term. If successful
in November’s election he will
continue to be a Knox County
Nebraska Supervisor for an even
20. Service to others seems to be
what Marty was meant to do.
My time with Mr. O’Connor
was time very well spent. He is a
passionate man, and a professional in his line of business. He leaves
nothing to chance and approaches each case with the meticulous
precision one would expect from a professional. He understands that
most of the time his services are needed when people are experiencing
difficult situations in their lives, he gets that, and clients get the very
best of his and his team’s abilities.
There are some lighter moments to Marty’s job. Those moments
are when he finds a loved one someone has come to him to search for.
There have been reunions in his office and he is the first to admit that
he has shed a tear or two when the outcomes are good and families are
reunited. It can be said that not all of Marty’s cases deal with the dark
side of humanity.
Marty loves his line of work. Each day is different and each case
unique. He loves the challenges that come with some of the cases and
he excels at finding answers to nearly impossible questions. He has a
fondness for Cold Cases because it is those types of cases that bring
about many interesting challenges.
“I am a Federal and District Court Appointed Investigator and
Judges appoint me to work on cases. Some of those cases have a lot of
pending questions and that is where I excel. I love Cold Cases, because
I love things that can’t be figured out and when I am Federal and
District appointed that is my chance.”
Marty looks forward to continuing his work as a private investigator
as he positively impacts those around him while seeking the truth and
justice in a world where that is sometimes hard to find. n
Call or Stop By For All Your Heating and Cooling Needs!
2018 Broadway, Yankton
605-665-4348
M-F 8am-5pm
Saturday 8am-Noon
We Stock Filters
Brad Haas
HISVOICEvSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018v5