Coldwater Community Picnic is proud to announce their Grand Marshal for 2024. This year, the committee has chosen two very deserving people that have dedicated their lives to supporting our troops and protecting our country. The Grand Marshals for 2024 are Marty Krieg and Douglas Laux. 

 

Marty has worked with numerous charities throughout the region including “Thanks To Our Yanks”, “Lots for Soldiers”, and “Journey Home” programs all of which provide assistance to local veterans seeking a wide variety of services in the area. To date, Ms. Krieg has helped to raise over 1.5 million dollars and shipped over 4,500 care packages to active-duty soldiers. Ms. Krieg also served on the MD softball tournament committee for 40 years. Marty and her husband of 47 years Mike raised two daughters Angie (Brian) Stammen and Krista (Brent) Kremer. 

 

Through these events that she is involved in, Ms. Krieg met Douglas Laux, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative and Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) instructor.. Mr. Laux has also written a New York Times bestselling memoir and starred in television programs with Discovery Channel, Bravo, Amazon, and Netflix. Douglas started his career in 2006 with the CIA and became an undercover field operative where he served multiple tours in Afghanistan and throughout the Middle East. He is fluent in the native language of Pashto which he used to infiltrate the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS. While serving as an undercover operative with the CIA, Mr. Laux is credited with taking down the world’s largest IED network. In addition, he was also part of an operation called Neptune Spear, which resulted in the death of Osama Bin Laden. In 2013, he left the CIA and joined the Elite Joint Special Operations Command, serving as an instructor for Navy Seal team Six, Delta Force, and the 75th Ranger regimental reconnaissance company. Mr. Laux now runs a non-profit helping veterans upon their return from deployment. He has received numerous awards and decorations, including U.S. Senatorial Awards for Valor, U.S. congressional recognitions of service, and the Gubernatorial Heroism Award.

 

Please join us in congratulating Marty and Douglas for their many years of service to our community and nation. Congratulations on being named 2024 Coldwater Community Picnic Grand Marshals! We look forward to celebrating your achievements during the Coldwater Community Picnic on August 1-4 at Coldwater Memorial Park.