The City of Fishers honors all our local heroes who courageously served our country in the armed forces. To all the servicemembers past and present, thank you for your service, sacrifice, and support.
On September 20, 1975, President General Ford signed a bill amending the Uniform Monday Holiday Act and officially restoring Veterans Day to November 11. In the following years since, the United States has recognized the 11th day of the 11th month as a time to celebrate, honor, and remember the brave service members of our country.
For Veterans Day, This is Fishers sat down with local Marine Corps veteran and Fishers resident Scott Sobczak.
Sobczak grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. For most of his high school career, his trajectory pointed to attending college as his plan after his senior year. “Both my parents were college graduates themselves. My mother was a teacher, then a stay-at-home mother, and my father an entrepreneur in real estate. I was always going to go to college,” Sobczak said.
However, after the events of September 11 in the fall of his senior year, his plans of college after high school took a new path. “I knew that that wasn’t going to fulfill me, and it didn’t align to what I wanted to do. It changed the course of my understanding of who I wanted to be,” Sobczak said.
So, after graduating in the spring of 2002, Sobczak enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. His decision to join was one based on principle. “I wanted to do something that was aligned with the ethos of what the Marine Corp stands for,” said Sobczak.
The Marine Corps Core Values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment emphasize performing morally on and off duty. This “warrior ethos” provides guidance to Marines in difficult ethical situations and acts as a reminder to provide good order and discipline.
During his five years of service, Sobczak served two tours in Iraq. Spending time in the Anbar Province during the time of “The Surge” and working as an avionics technician reset his goals for life. His focus shifted to aligning himself to a wholistic goal and vision, something he has carried along him even after his time in the Marines.
Sobczak went back to school in 2007 where he obtained a degree in engineering from IUPUI and later went on to work in the defense industry. “Because I’d fixed helicopters and I’d conducted missions on helicopters, I knew I wanted to be on the other side of it in the aerospace defense industry,” Sobczak said.
For Sobczak, Veterans Day is a two-day event. The day prior to the holiday is the birthday of the Marine Corps. Established in 1775, the Marine Corps birthday is a day filled with tradition for veterans and active Marines alike. Sobczak says, “There’s a time of celebration on November 10, and then we transition to a time of remembrance on November 11 where I think about the veterans of this country, all the conflicts prior, and conflicts to come.”
Neighborhood: East Fishers
Favorite Local Restaurants: Nickel Plate District restaurants
Favorite way to spend a Saturday: Hanging out and doing activities with my family.
Advice for aspiring service members: Appreciate every moment that you’re in. Whether it be the most stressful thing that you’ve ever dealt with in your entire life or the most frustrating, look to the lessons in each one.
Advice for those transitioning out of military life: Like any transition in life, it can be scary because there is a factor of unknown, but know that people have gone through it before you. There’s a great support network out there.
Laura Masoni is a previous Public Relations Intern for the City of Fishers. She moved to Fishers from Greenwood in 2010. Her favorite activities include traveling, rowing at Eagle Creek, and going to concerts in Downtown Indy. In her free time, she loves to hang out with her friends and listen to podcasts & music.