Bruce Junker posthumously honored as Jefferson County Veteran of the Month

Full biography

FAIRBURY, NE - A longtime Fairbury resident now has a plaque with his name on it hanging in the Jefferson County Courthouse.

Bruce Junker was posthumously honored as Jefferson County Veteran of the Month on Tuesday. His wife, Peggy, received the honor on his behalf during a ceremony outside of the courthouse.

Bruce graduated from Fairbury High in 1958 and moved to Chicago to work for a major construction company. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1960 and went to basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. He spent four years in the Air Force and worked primarily with flight simulators that qualified pilots to fly KC-135 and B-52 aircraft.

Bruce earned the Good Conduct medal and the Air Force Accommodation medal upon his honorable discharge in 1964. After his discharge, Bruce worked for 37 years for Chicago Construction Company. He retired in 2001 and moved back to Fairbury. He died in 2019 after dealing with heart problems.

Bruce was an American Legion member for over 29 years, served as Post 24 commander for 10 years and served two terms as County American Legion Commander.