Photo By Scott Sturkol | Sergio “Matias” Chontal-Harter interviews Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col....... read more read more
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He was dressed in a vest and tie that likely would have made the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ernie Pyle proud. Sergio “Matias” Chontal-Harter showed up for his interview with Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Stephen Messenger on Feb. 12 ready to go.
A student at Immanuel Lutheran School in La Crosse, Wis., Chontal-Harter is the son of Moriah Harter, administrative officer with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works, and Sergio Chontal. Harter said his school was doing a Social Studies Night where they presented their projects to their class, teachers, families, and families of their classmates.
“Each class was assigned a different topic for the event,” Harter said. “Matias’ first grade class was assigned the topic of ‘historical figures’ or ‘American heroes.’ Matias was clear from the beginning he wanted to do his project on a Soldier, so I started to list off some historical figures he may be interested in. He could not relate to any of them and didn’t want to do any of the suggestions that came from his teacher.
“After some reflection, Matias asked me if he could do his project on Col. Messenger,” Harter said. “It was no surprise to me that he wanted to do the project on Col. Messenger. Matias is very patriotic and absolutely loves everything involved with the military and Soldiers, but he especially admires Col. Messenger.”
Chontal-Harter and Messenger had previously met at an event at McCoy’s Community Center, Harter said.
“Col. Messenger invited Matias and his sister, Florence, to do the obstacle course with him,” Harter said. “Matias felt like a real Soldier during this experience and grew to admire Col. Messenger. I told Matias we could ask his teacher, but the intention of the project was to focus on historical figures. I’m not sure how Matias convinced his teacher, but his approval note came home that he was allowed to do his project on American heroes in the U.S. Army with an emphasis on Col. Messenger.”
Harter said after receiving the teacher’s approval she wrote an email to Messenger asking if he would mind answering a few questions for Matias’s project.
“My expectation or hope was that he could give a few short answers via email or possibly even a short (Microsoft) Teams call. I had no expectation that he would give Matias another amazing experience! Matias wrote all the questions himself and thoroughly enjoyed conducting the interview.”
During the interview, Chontal-Harter had asked pertinent and important questions, such as, “What’s important for our future?” And Messenger responded.
“Growing leaders, because what we need across America is leaders in different places,” Messenger said. “And it's our job to teach others how to lead people to, as the first sergeant said, live up to their full potential. Like you, you have so much potential, you could do anything you wanted to. But you need some people like your mom and other people, you know your teachers to help you grow into that and figure out what you want to do in life. … You have so much potential. So the most important thing we can do is help you and everybody here realize their full potential.”
In addition to Messenger, 1st Sgt. Jacob Pattison with U.S. Army Garrison-Fort McCoy Headquarters and Headquarters Company also participated.
Messenger and Pattison took the opportunity to also show Chontal-Harter how to properly stand in formation for a military retreat ceremony, and they had him go through his own version of the Army Combat Fitness Test. Chontal-Harter changed into some different clothes that his mom brought along of course.
During the fitness test, Chontal-Harter did well on some it, including completing 53 pushups. As Messenger said as it was taking place, “that was amazing.”
What may have been more amazing was the smile on Chontal-Harter’s face when it was all done. The entire experience took less than an hour and Chontal-Harter was thankful to everyone, shouting out a big, “Thank you!”
“This was a great opportunity for him to learn and grow,” Harter said. “I know he will never forget it.”
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”
Also try downloading the Digital Garrison app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base.
| Date Taken: | 02.20.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.20.2024 16:13 |
| Story ID: | 464304 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 757 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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