Oregon National Guard Command Sgt. Major Stan Getz, left, shares a moment of camaraderie with Sergeant First Class Alex Porter, whom he chastised moments earlier for tricking him with a public retirement announcement. Getz, a native of The Dalles, was part of an honor guard at The Dalles Pro Rodeo Friday and had been asked by announcers to step forward with the U.S. flag after the National Anthem was sung. He had been requested to remain at attention during the reading of a cowboy poem, which he thought was a strange rodeo tradition but nevertheless agreed to assist. Instead, Porter had arranged for the announcer to read a short bio of Getz' distinguished military career, which began in 1989 and included numerous citations and awards for leadership, such as the Army Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters and the Combat Infantry Badge. The crowd in the stands around the arena gave the embarrassed soldier a round of applause on July 15 in appreciation of his service, which ended last weekend, and Porter was subjected to an earful of colorful comments after Getz exited the stadium.
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