The Dunn County Republican Party today announced that the annual Dunn County Lincoln Day Dinner keynote speaker will by Scott Harold Southworth who was recently honored as a "CNN Hero." Major Southworth, who currently serves as Juneau County District Attorney is also a member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard.
After two commands in the Ordnance field, Southworth accepted his third command in September of 2002 with the 32nd Military Police Company. There, he led preparation for, and deployment to, the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He maintained responsibility for the rebuilding and supervision of the Iraqi Police Service (IPS) in northeast Baghdad and central Iraq from June 2003-July 2004. Unit members received 21 Bronze Stars, 3 Army Commendation Medals with Valor, and 23 Purple Hearts. The 32nd received the Valorous Unit Award for its service, which included supervision of IPS stations and the training of about 1,000 IPS members. For exceptional wartime service, Southworth received the Bronze Star Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
In May of 2006, General Peter Schoomaker, Army Chief of Staff, presented Southworth with the General MacArthur Leadership Award at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The award recognized Southworth as one of the top junior officers in the United States Army. Southworth returned to Iraq to bring a disabled Iraqi orphan named Ala'a Eddeen to the United States for medical care and education. In June 2007, he legally adopted Ala'a, who will soon become a U.S. citizen.
"We are thrilled that Scott Southworth has accepted our invitation to speak at our Lincoln Day event," said Barbara Black, of Colfax, Co-chair of the Dunn County Republican Party. "Most people know the name because of the 'Southworth Decision' where Scott as a law student won a landmark First Amendment case before the U. S. Supreme Court opposing the UW's policy of forcing students to fund private student organizations with anti-Christian and anti-American views. But there is more to him than that one law case."
"Major Southworth is a true American hero and it honors us to have him join us locally," stated Richard Rust, Dunn GOP Co-chair of Menomonie. "We've heard his story on national media such as Montel Williams Show, MSNBC's Equal Time with Oliver North, Fox News, and of course the CNN Hero program and it will be wonderful to talk to him in person."
The 2008 Dunn County GOP Lincoln Day will be held on Saturday, April 26 at the Whitetail Golf Course near Colfax. Social hour will start at 11am with the meal and program to start at noon. To be assured available seating, persons are asked to pre-register by Friday April 18. Other invited speakers include Congressional candidate Paul Stark, Senator Sheila Harsdorf, and Representatives Jeff Wood, John Murtha, and Kitty Rhoades. For questions or directions contact the Dunn County Republican Party at 235-1485.
