A well-known Austin veteran received a big honor last month all the way from Washington, D.C.

Norm Hecimovich, 81, a retired, decorated U.S. Army veteran who served in the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Department of Defense on Nov. 20.

“It’s kind of a prestigious award given by the department of defense for my work with the soldiers, returning soldiers, soldiers in general, and also for my service for my country,” Hecimovich said.

Hecimovich was surprised and honored to get the award, which was presented to him at the Rochester Conference Center by a general during a 25-year reunion for being activated for Desert Storm in 1990.

“We were having a program for that and all of a sudden they stopped the thing and they said, ‘We have a very prestigious award for Norman Hecimovich,’ which I didn’t know I was going to get,” he said.

Mower County Veteran’s Service Officer Wayne Madson was glad to see Hecimovich get the award.

“That’s a lifetime achievement award, and I can’t think of a gentlemen that has contributed more to the veteran’s community more than Norm has,” he said.

A plaque, adorned with a bald eagle, was presented to Hecimovich for his work with soldiers, whether they are coming back from war or going into it. He explained his involvement with briefing soldiers individually when leaving for war, helping them understand what to look forward to and things they should know. When they come back, he helps work with their employers to ensure they have a job to come home to. He also presents awards to companies that support soldiers, and he has given awards to companies such as Mayo Clinic Health System and Hormel Foods Corp.

“A lot of companies received awards for supporting the soldiers,” he said.

In the past, many companies didn’t have as much support for returning soldiers, according to Hecimovich.

Madson also explained Hecimovich has been involved in nearly every veteran’s organization in Mower County, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Disabled American Veterans and other organizations.

“All those service clubs have at one time or another touched with Norm,” Madson said.

“Norm gives 100 percent,” he added.

He is also the president of the Mower County Veteran’s Memorial Committee, as he helped spark the program to add the pavers and statues on the lawn of the Mower County Government Center. That program reached its goal of selling 1,056 pavers earlier this year.

Despite all his hard work with veterans and soldiers over the years, Hecimovich was surprised to get the award.

“I was quite shocked, because it’s something they probably only give one in the state and only so many throughout the whole United States,” he continued. “So when you get something like that it is shocking, you know, I was kind of in awe.”

About 120 people attended the event, according to Hecimovich. Although he has received many awards for other things, such as VFW Volunteer of the Year, Hecimovich said it’s always nice to receive an award for something he’s done.

“It’s something that I’ll put alongside my other ones and I’ll be very proud of,” he said. “It’s something that I’ll cherish the rest of my life.”

Madson said Hecimovich’s involvement has meant a lot to the veteran community, as well as the community as a whole.

“He’s always there on Veterans Day, Memorial Day, the post 9/11 ceremony we conduct,” Madson said.

“When you say Norm Hecimovich, you automatically think of veterans in a very positive light,” he added.