U.P. Veteran of the Year honored at U.P. State Fair

ESCANABA -- C. William "Bill" Hagar was honored as the 2021 U.P. Veteran of the Year Thursday at the U.P. State Fair. A ceremony was held to honor the National Mine man and was attended by local and state leaders. Hagar was unable to attend and his nephew Paul accepted the award from Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Hagar was picked by the U.P. Veteran of the Year Committee and nominated by the Marquette County Veterans Alliance. He will be honored during the U.P. State Fair later this month.

Hagar served in the U.S. Navy from 1963-67. In 1977, he joined the U.S. Army serving from 1977-93 with the 107th Engineers, Active Guard Reserve retiring as a highly decorated Master Sergeant (E-8). During his time in the military, Hagar earned numerous commendations.

Hagar holds lifetime memberships in the AMVETS, DAV, VFW, VVA, Ishpeming Armory NCO Club, K.I. Sawyer NCO Club, Camp Grayling NCO Club, U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy Museum, National Guard HHC 49's and the Marquette County Veterans Alliance.

During his civilian years, he continued serving veterans as president of the NMU Vets Club; the 107th Engineers Association Board of Directors and a Facilitator for a Peer Support Group.

Over the years, he actively served his community as a member of the Lions Club, Marquette County Youth Coalition, Marquette County Volunteer Fire Department (Ladder Captain), Ishpeming Board of Review, One Love Brigade non-profit, Red Cross and Salvation Army volunteer, swim coach and meet referee volunteer in Gwinn and Marquette County and the Marquette County Fair Association. In addition, Hagar volunteered at an Amputee Seminar at the Milwaukee VA and does Santa duties at the Jacobetti Home for Veterans.

He is active in church activities including teaching Sunday School and often donates his time cleaning houses, doing yard work, and repairing items for his neighbors and community members...he provides employment to mentally and physically disabled community members."

Spending two tours of duty in Vietnam, he used his experience to author a play that went into full production for four weeks at the Vista Theater in Negaunee, highlighting the struggles of Vietnam veterans while in service and their return home providing hope and promise for veterans and family members.

He resides In National Mine with his wife, Katherine. He has two children, Will, and Michelle Hagar Park, five stepchildren and eight grandchildren.