State Representative Gina Johnsen (R-Portland) will host a solemn community tribute commemorating the 35th Anniversary of the start of Operation Desert Storm on Friday, January 16, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. on the south steps of the Ionia County Courthouse in downtown Ionia. The ceremony, titled A Promise Kept Honoring the War and the Heroes of the 78th House District, marks the exact anniversary of the commencement of air operations in 1991 and serves as the official launch of Representative Johnsen’s 2026 Legacy of Service Initiative.

“Thirty-five years ago, the Quiet Professionals of West Michigan answered a global call to defend freedom,” said Rep. Johnsen. “Operation Desert Storm restored the American spirit, but that victory came at a tremendous cost. Today, we gather to ensure the sacrifice of men like William Fitzgerald Palmer of Hillsdale and all of Michigan’s heroes is never forgotten. Gratitude must be more than words. It must be backed by action, and that is the mission of the Legacy of Service.”

The half-hour ceremony will feature a formal Honor Guard, a performance of the National Anthem by Inetta Smith of the Lansing Veterans Area Coalition, and remarks from Ionia County Commissioner Gordon Kelley. The emotional centerpiece of the tribute will be a dual wreath-laying ceremony honoring Michigan’s fallen service members and Gold Star families.

Representative Johnsen will be joined by Operation Desert Storm veteran Steve Prince to place a wreath in honor of Michigan’s fallen. A second wreath, the 35th Anniversary Gold Star Remembrance Wreath, will be placed by Diane Huhn, Gold Star Mother of David Huhn, escorted by Veteran Outreach Coordinator Michele Fickes.

“We do not simply count the fallen. We make their lives count,” Johnsen added. “This tribute is a reminder that our freedom is bought at a price, and our commitment to those who wore the uniform must endure.”