Community All-Stars: Miguel Dominic, a dedicated historian and veteran
BANNOCK COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) – In this Community All-Stars presented by your GMC dealers of east Idaho, we honor Miguel Dominic, a dedicated historian, and veteran who is working to ensure we never forget the stories of the Bannock County Veterans Memorial Building and our veterans.
“There's a lot of history that goes all the way back to World War One, you know. And even before World War One, there's a lot of history in this building,” said Miguel.
One of Pocatello's hidden gems is found when you walk through the doors of the Bannock County Veterans Memorial Building. Inside, you find the veterans museum lovingly and carefully taken care of by Miguel Dominic, who has painstakingly documented the stories of the building and our veterans.
“I want them to hear the history of the veterans, what veterans like when they come in here and they tell us their their war stories of where they've been. They get to learn like every era of every generation that's been through this building,” said Miguel.
As an Army veteran who served in the 193rd Infantry Brigade and an Idaho National Guardsman, Miguel has devoted his life to the service of others. In his military service, he received an impressive list of medals, including the Combat Action Badge and the Purple Heart. After his return from Iraq, he became the building historian for the Bannock County Veterans Memorial Association and began to look for books and articles about the history of the building and the Bannock County Veterans.
“One thing that I found really fascinating is that there really wasn't much information on the building. I looked on Google, I looked in the library, and there was just a little bit of information,” said Miguel. “It makes me happy to know that people enjoy this building, that people come in and get to see and learn about the building.”
Since Miguel couldn't find much information, he decided to write a book to keep the stories of this building and our veterans alive.
The book that Miguel wrote is titled Bannock County Veterans Memorial Building, Lest We Forget in Honor of All Our Veterans.
If you would like a copy, they are 25 dollars and are available on Amazon or at the Bannock County Veterans Building.
Miguel also helps organize military and community events, including one for James Johnson, Pocatello's only Medal of Honor recipient.
“It's very important because it keeps his memory alive, and his daughter knows that we've always kept Pocatello, as you know, hometown hero, his memory alive here in the building,” said Miguel.
Miguel, thank you for your service to our country and for your dedication to supporting our fellow veterans, your work preserving local military history ensures their service and sacrifices are not forgotten.