Hometown Heroes unveils new banners of veterans in Grand Island

GRAND ISLAND – Grand Island Hometown Heroes unveiled banners of 76 veterans May 22 during an event at Grand Island Senior High School’s auditorium.

The lower level of the auditorium was filled with spectators, and vehicles filled parking areas on the east side of the auditorium.

Holly Klimek is president of Grand Island Hometown Heroes. She said that families are responsible for paying the $225 cost for the banner. Hometown Heroes pays for other things, including hardware from which banners are hung, attached to light poles; and labor for hanging the banners.

In the morning on May 21, 51 banners that were first unveiled in 2024 were hung along Capital Avenue, going approximately from Webb Road to Broadwell.

Banners will be hung this hear from Eagle Scout Lake to the north Super Saver and along Webb Road from Capital Avenue to Highway 30, Klimek said.

“This was not an easy project,” Klimek said.

During the past year, Grand Island Hometown Heroes gained nonprofit status as an organization (501 (c)3) status) and participated in Go Big Give.

The purpose of the project is to recognize the men and women who have served in the military.

“We need to support our veterans,” Klimek said.

Caitlin Bartz is secretary/treasurer of Grand Island Hometown Heroes.

The May 21 event began with posting of the colors and singing of the national anthem. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the colors were retired.

The event started at 6 p.m. May 21 and ended at 8:30 p.m. May 21. The majority of the time was used to read biographical information about each veteran.

After the national anthem was sung, the portion of the event to unveil the banners began. As a narrator read biographical information about the person being recognized, a large slide with photos of the person on it was projected onto a screen at the front of the auditorium. Also, a person carried a pole from which the banner was displayed and stood on the other side of the stage. After the ceremony, the banners were displayed in the foyer of the auditorium.

After the ceremony, Vernon Engel of Grand Island stood by his banner in the foyer of the auditorium. He served in the Navy in Vietnam with a PO3 rank and is a 1963 graduate of Grand Island Senior High School. He served in the Navy for two years and four months. After returning to Grand Island, he worked for 38 years at Berkley Pump.

Engel said after he returned home from the war, people did not talk about their service in the military. He said it is important to recognize veterans, and the Hometown Heroes project “should be done.”

Klimek said that nomination forms for Grand Island Hometown Heroes are available online in January. The name of the Facebook page for the organization is Grand Island Hometown Heroes.

Names of the new Hometown Heroes announced May 21 are: Alecia Aguilar; Emmett Arnett, Todd Arnett; Moe Atkins; Larry Bagwell; Zachary Baker; Dale Bartz; Larry Boersen; Colt Bonser; Robert Borgheiinck; John Briseno; Doug Brown; Roy Cary Jr.; Michael Cockerham; Richard Cosh; Larry Craven; Paul Curry; Duane Curtin; Fredrick Denney; Vernon Engel; Korbin Espeland; Shelby Eyten; John Frankenberg; Jerome Geiger; Dennis Glover; Roger Goettsche; Alvin Gosda; Mikkena Gray; Jerald Hirschman; Larry Hobbs; Jonathan Hoeser; Richard Holmes; Robert Holmes; Stanley Hopkins; Keith Janssen; Donald Julesgard; Martin Koleski; Emil Kosmicki; Karl Kostbahn; John Larson; Draytonn Lawver; Asnley Lee; David Lenz; Ellery Lenz; Adrian Lewandowski; Logan Luft; William Luft III, Marcus Martinez; Aaron McGee; Ed Meedel; Davis Morrison; Robert Mueller; David Munoz; Jesus Nava; Harlan Nelson; Dennis Niemann; Robert Niemann; Patricia Nuncio; Patrick O’Neill; Lucas Ostermeier; Forrest Petersen; LeRoy Redman; Earl Sautter; Mikel Schlick; Walter Schreiner; Richard Smith; Forrest Swanson; Joseph Taylor; James Townsend; Leo Tylkowski; Marvin Van Dyke; Marvin Wemhoff; Robert Whaley; Josie Young; and Curt Zurcher.

These are highlights of some of the people recognized as Hometown Heroes:

• Dale Bartz: Bartz served in the Navy during World War II and achieved the rank of MM. After returning to Grand Island, Bartz worked at Bartz Floral. He received a Purple Heart.
• John Briseno: Briseno served in the Korean War in the Army. After returning to Grand Island, he worked for the U.S. Postal Service. He is now 96 years old.
• Doug Brown: Brown served in the Navy during the Cold War and achieved a rank of CMC. He is now a member of the Grand Island City Council.
• Alvin Gosda: Gosda served in the Navy during the Vietnam War and is a graduate of Grand Island Senior High School. He earned a rank of E6. After returning to Grand Island, he owned Gosda’s Car Wash.
• Jerald Hirschman: He served in the Vietnam War in the Navy and achieved a rank of UT2. After returning to Grand Island, he worked at Frymire Heating and Air Conditioning.
• Larry Hobbs: He attended Grand Island Public Schools and served in the Army during the Vietnam War, where he was exposed to Agent Orange. He died from complications from Agent Orange.
• Robert Holmes: He served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and earned a rank of CPL. He worked for the city of Grand Island for 45 years after returning to Grand Island.
• Adrian Lewandowski: He served in the Vietnam War in the Army and earned a rank of SPC. He worked for 32 years at Chief Industries.
• Ed Meedel: Meedel served in the Vietnam War in the Navy. He earned a rank of PO3. Meedel was one of the announcers at the May 22 event and is an announcer at the Nebraska State Fair.
• Robert Mueller: Mueller served in the Army during the Global War on Terror and achieved the rank of SFC. He was a Purple Heart recipient.
• Harlan Nelson: Nelson served in the Army during World War II. He attained a rank of TEC5. He was a graduate of Hastings College and was a long-time assistant principal at Walnut Middle School.
• Robert Niemann: Niemann served in the Vietnam War in the Marine Corps. After returning to Grand Island, he worked at Central Community College. He served on the Grand Island City Council for four years.
• LeRoy Redman: Redman served in the Army during World War II and achieved the rank of CPL. He worked for the Grand Island Police Department for 23 years.
• Robert Whaley: Whaley served in the Navy during the Cold War and achieved the rank of SN. His seven brothers also served in the Navy.