Seven soldiers from the Nebraska Army National Guard in Grand Island begin a two-mile walk from the Hall County Veterans Memorial Park to the Hall County Courthouse April 30 to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND – Seven soldiers from the Nebraska Army National Guard in Grand Island walked two miles carrying United States flags from the Hall County Veterans Memorial Park to the Hall County Courthouse April 30 to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.
The seven soldiers represented the seven Vietnam Veterans from Hall County who were killed in the war.
A large United States flag flying high in the air from a Grand Island firetruck was stationed at the Hall County Veterans Memorial Park near where the walk began. Grand Island police escorted the soldiers. They walked east on Capital Avenue to Sycamore Street, then south on Sycamore Street to downtown and the Courthouse.
After the group reached the courthouse, there was a program with Mayor Roger Steele and Dan Naranjo as the featured speakers. Jim Seim, a Vietnam War veteran, and John Larson, a Hall County Warriors Committee member, spoke.
The soldiers killed in the Vietnam War from Hall County were Army Pvt. First Class Kenneth Wayne Schmidt, Army Pvt. First Class Jan Royce Gillham, Army Corporal Richard Gerald Gillham, U.S. Air Force Capt. Monte Larue Moorberg, Army Specialist Four Richard Paul Sawicki, Army Specialist Four Dewey Irvin Struebing, and Army Pvt. First Class Rodney Louis Engel.
Nebraska Army National Guard Major Derek Zulkoski of Grand Island was one of the seven soldiers carrying flags from the Hall County Veterans Memorial Park to the Hall County Courthouse.
“It’s a great event,” Zulkoski said. “We’re citizen soldiers showing our presence.” He said it’s important to pass on to the next generation never to forget the Vietnam War veterans.
Hall County Veterans Service Officer Don Shuda said that more than 500 Vietnam War veterans throughout the country are dying every day. He said that’s one reason it’s time to recognize the veterans for what they did.
“They were never truly given a welcome home,” Shuda said.
John Larson is a member of the Hall County Warriors Memorial Committee. The group is beginning to raise funds for a Vietnam War Memorial Monument at the Hall County Veterans Memorial Park.
“We decided we wanted to honor the Vietnam War veterans with a new memorial in the park,” he said.
The group is accepting monetary and scrap metal donations. Donations may be mailed to the Hall County Warriors Memorial, 1914 W. Capital Ave., Grand Island, NE 68803. Scrap metal donations may be taken to Kramers or Alter metal recycling. Larson said the group doesn’t have an estimated completion date or a design concept for the memorial. The group has a Facebook page named “Hall County Warriors Memorial.”
“We need the public to help support the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial,” Larson said.
Larson praised Hall County Commissioner Gary Quandt, who was standing at the base of the Hall County Courthouse cupola for 50 hours to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.
“He’s one of the biggest veterans supporters in this community,” Larson said. “He doesn’t want any recognition, but he deserves it.”
Larson said that Vietnam War veterans were not treated well when they came home. Recognition of them is “long overdue.”
