BEND, OR -- Deschutes County Commissioners plan to honor Dick Tobiason at their Wednesday morning meeting, ahead of Veterans Day. Commissioner Patti Adair says he's well deserving, "What individual has done more to recognize the service of our thousands of veterans in Deschutes County and in our world?"

Tobiason is a Vietnam War vet and retired from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel. "Dick happens to be 89. He’s just a young 89, and he’s the man who gets the flags up all those different days in the year," Adair tells KBND News, "Veterans Day, Memorial Day. He runs so many ceremonies, always honoring veterans. And I just felt like it was time we recognize all of is wonderful, wonderful efforts."

She says he also helped get Veterans Village off the ground, "We contributed more funding to add seven more cabins to that program. And those are all being constructed. The walls are on-site; they’re roofing them. It’s an outstanding program. 16 veterans have transitioned to - I could say housing from that program. And I just want to thank Dick for all of his work and his son Eric Tobiason, who is the leader of that group - the Veterans Village program."

Also at Wednesday’s County Commissioner meeting, Deschutes County Veterans Services staff will talk about what help is available for local vets. That meeting starts at 9 a.m. at the county services building (1300 NW Wall St.) in Bend. 

File photo: Dick Tobiason presents the flag at the Bend Heroes Memorial in 2018