The Farming Families magazine salutes local veterans throughout this issue. Pictured is the Granville Veterans Memorial, including its flying eagle sculpture, which is unique to the area.
PUBLISHERS
Garrett and Mindy Gross, AGE Media
EDITOR & IOWA MANAGER
Bob Fitch, AGE Media
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NORTHWEST IOWA AMERICAN LEGION RIDERS AND ‘FLAGS FOR VETS’ SHOW GRATITUDE TO VETERANS
By Bob Fitch
Rumbling down the highways and city streets of northwest Iowa and beyond, these motorcyclists are on a mission. The bikes won’t stop rolling so long as there are veterans to honor and thank; and as long as there are veterans to help in small or significant ways.
Based out of American Legion Wasmer Post 241 in Le Mars, the Northwest Iowa American Legion Riders (www.nwiaalr.com) was one of the first such chapters formed in the state and is the largest chapter in Iowa.
Dave Huls said he, Wayne Thieman and Gerry Hampton were at the Sturgis Bike Rally in 2002 when they met an American Legion member from Michigan who told them about the Legion Riders program. Huls said they brought the idea home and spent several years organizing and recruiting. After the chapter
Cars meeting the motorcycle troop on the highway frequently pull off to the side of road in respect for the flotilla of flags the riders bear, said member Chad Poeckes, the chapter’s road captain. The national and state flags and the POW-MIA flag are always flown. If there are enough riders, flags are flown for each branch of the military and the American Legion. The American Legion Riders have escorted many National Guard members and groups coming or going from Sioux Falls and Sioux City, and have also traveled to Omaha, Des Moines and even Missouri.
was officially chartered with 35 members in late 2005, Thieman said it quickly became the state’s largest, often numbering more than 100 members. “We were very busy. We were escorting a lot of our (National Guard) units to and from the airport as they went or returned from war zones. We liked it when we could escort a unit to the Le Mars Community School Football Field for a big welcome home.” In the post-9/11 era, the United States was fighting wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan. “Unfortunately, we also escorted a lot of funerals,” he said.
The Northwest Iowa American Legion Riders includes members of the American Legion, Sons of the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary. Members come from throughout northwest
Iowa, plus into South Dakota and as far away as Des Moines. Thieman stressed that NWIAALR is not a motorcycle club. “We’re an association of like-minded veterans and patriots who ride motorcycles.”
In addition to providing escorts for deployed guard units and veteran funerals, the Legion Riders provide other services to veterans.
According to NWIAALR chapter director Doug Harms, “Our mission is our vets, plain and simple. We’ve got to thank them for what we’ve got. That's it. We're here for them.” Money generated through poker runs and other fundraisers goes to support programs such as Holidays for our Heroes, a free event that includes dinner, live music and
LIKE-MINDED PATRIOTS SERVING VETERANS
American Legion Riders presenting a check to veteran Adam Spates, who is also a fire fighter and EMS personnel, to assist after losing his home in the floods of 2024
Chad Poeckes, Dave Huls, Wayne Thieman and Doug Harms in front of the American Legion post in Le Mars.
gifts for military children. Current military members, veterans and their families are invited. NWIAALR also supports the monthly Waffles for Warriors event. The event includes breakfast, groceries and connection for veterans. Both of these events are hosted by the Sioux City-based Support Siouxland Soldiers organization. Money from the Legion Riders has been used to pay for fuel so a veteran can afford to travel to his medical appointments. Riders have also purchased hats, gloves, mittens, socks, and undergarments for veterans at the Vets Home in Marshalltown and the Vets Hospital in Sioux Falls. Riders have also provided funds for flood relief; for upkeep of veterans’ service animals; and for repairs and upgrades to the Legion Post club in Le Mars and other cities. “The Legion Post is ‘home’ for many veterans. That's why we want to make sure it's nice, clean and updated,” Harms said.
MISSION: FLAGS FOR VETS
The Legion Riders based at Le Mars Post 241 are particularly proud of a program called “Mission: Flags for Vets.” Started this year, the program provides veterans (living within a 50-mile radius of Post 241) with folded U.S. flags, a card signed by all the Legion Riders delivering the flag, and dog tags. Typically, the U.S. government gives a flag to the families of veterans after the veteran dies. However, according to Poeckes, “Why should a vet wait until he passes to receive his or her flag? Let’s give him one now.” He, his wife Trudy, and Harms’ girlfriend, Lori Dolph, coordinate the project with nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the area.
Last month, NWIAALR delivered a record 60 flags in one day to veterans in Sioux Center and
Orange City. “When you meet a veteran who has never once been thanked or was never told ‘welcome home’ when he returned from service, he will shake your hand and he’s got tears rolling down his face,” Poeckes said. Harms added, “It’s heartwarming and it’s personal. They thank you so much and you cry right along with them.” NWIAALR also helped start a Legion Riders chapter in Council Bluffs. Poeckes said he hopes the program grows to be coast to coast.
PATRIOTISM ALIVE AND WELL
Thieman said, “A lot of Vietnam vets never got any thanks and never got a welcome home. Many of us were met with hostility. So it's heartwarming to see how much these flags and rider visits mean to local veterans.” Between March 1965 and December 1969, he served three tours of duty (31 months and 14 days) in Vietnam as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps. He was awarded four Purple Hearts. After his final injury, he recuperated in the Naval Hospital at Philadelphia. Like the book and movie “Born on the Fourth of July,” he was a veteran and patriotic American who protested the war in Vietnam during his recovery.
Thieman, 80, is an active participant in the Northwest Iowa American Legion Riders and said “it’s amazing” the efforts made by Sons of American Legion members such as Huls, Poeckes, Harms and many others who honor and assist veterans. “Patriotism is alive and well, at least in our part of the country.” Thieman devoted his professional career to veteran service with positions in several agencies and organizations. He also served multiple terms as commander of American Legion Wasmer Post 241.
The Northwest Iowa American Legion Riders presented one of “Mission: Flags for Vets” to Ben Retzer, a resident of Happy Siesta in Remsen. He’s holding a photo of himself when he enlisted.
Vietnam Veteran James Starks, a retired Marine, praying during the Flags for Vets event at Kingsley Specialty Care in Kingsley.
TO OUR LOCAL VETERANS:
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
In honor of Veterans Day on November 11th, this issue of Farming Families includes photos of many of the Veterans Memorials and other markers and monuments located in the communities of Lyon, Plymouth and Sioux counties. Remember and honor our veterans.
(Note: Some memorials are not shown in their entirety, but instead unique elements may be featured.)
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Photos by Bob Fitch
The Lyon County Freedom Rock is part of the Veterans Memorial at George.
The memorial at Inwood recognizes veterans who served in times of “war and peace.”
The Hinton Veterans Memorial.
The popular Rock Rapids city sign serves as a backdrop for the memorial in the Lyon County seat.
The Kingsley Veterans Memorial includes the Plymouth County Freedom Rock. The Freedom Rocks were all painted by Ray “Bubba” Sorenson, www.thefreedomrock.com.
The Le Mars Veterans Memorial is the most expansive and has the largest collection of individual monuments in the three counties. It is also unique in honoring unknown soldiers with this monument.
On South Washington Street in Remsen is a memorial dating to 1946 which honors veterans from both World Wars. A duplicate of the saluting paratrooper is included in the newer memorial at the Remsen cemetery.
The memorial in Merrill remembers veterans of “yesterday, today and always” and includes flags from each branch of the military.
The Veterans Memorial in Boyden includes a tribute to Gold Star Mothers and Families.
Hawarden Veterans Memorial includes the Sioux County Freedom Rock.
Orange City’s iconic windmill serves as a backdrop for the city’s veterans memorial.
The Maurice Veterans Memorial.
The Rock Valley Veterans Memorial includes a veteran’s prayer.
QUILTS PROVIDE COMFORT, RECOGNITION TO VETERANS
By Bob Fitch
Long after the gunfire has subsided, military veterans can sometimes still see or hear the horrors of war in their minds-eye.
Quilts of Valor is a program designed to help a war veteran’s healing process, a symbolic measure of comfort. “When those demons come at 2:00 in the morning, wrap the quilt around yourself and know that there are other people wrapping their arms around you,” said Gloria Kruid, a member of the American Legion Auxiliary at Sioux Center’s American Legion Doornink Brunsting Post 199. She is involved in the Auxiliary in honor of her son who was a marine and her father who served in the army.
The Quilts of Valor Foundation is a national organization begun in 2003 by the mother of a soldier deployed in Iraq. Founder Catherine Roberts had a vivid dream of a young man surrounded by war demons dragging him down into an emotional gutter. In the next scene of her dream, the young man was wrapped in a quilt and was experiencing hope and well-
and sacrifice to a new generation. “It's so quiet you can hear a pin drop,” said Kruid. “It’s nice the school welcomes the friends and family of the veterans receiving a quilt.”
Prior to the presentation ceremony, Kruid is usually the one who interviews each of the recipients to learn a little about their service background which is shared with those in attendance. Last year, Ben Jans, Ken Van Voorst and Matt Behrens, all of Sioux Center, received quilts from the Auxiliary.
Ben Jans served in the United States Navy from June 1970 to November 1973. He was trained to fly Bell UH-1 "Iroquois" helicopters, commonly known as a "Huey." The Huey was used for a variety of purposes, including air assault, troop transport, medical evacuation, and close air support. Jans rose to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer and flew many missions in Vietnam from November 1971 to November 1972. In one incident, his aircraft returned to base with 170 bullet holes. His mother read Psalm 91 every day for his safety.
Ken Van Voorst also served in the U.S. Navy, becoming an Assistant
being. That was the inspiration for a nationwide movement.
Since then, nearly 400,000 veterans around the country have received a Quilt of Valor. The Sioux Center American Legion Auxiliary has been participating for about 10 years. For the last several years, the quilts have been presented as part of the Veterans Day student assembly at Sioux Center High School. The assembly has proven to be a great venue to introduce stories of service
Chief with the rank of Fireman. He was stationed in Vietnam for a year where he rode on Landing Craft Utility 1619 which weekly brought 50 pallets of food, ammunition and
Jane Anema and Gloria Kruid, members of the American Legion Auxiliary in Sioux Center, with the Quilt of Valor Jane made for her husband, Jim.
Local veterans Ben Jans, Matthew Behrens and Ken Van Voorst received Quilts of Valor from the Sioux Center American Legion Auxiliary during the Veterans Day assembly at Sioux Center High School.
supplies up and down the 18-mile Da Nang River. They were often under enemy rocket fire and mortar attacks. He also helped withdraw 30,000 marines. Van Voorst is currently the commander of Legion Post 199.
Matthew Behrens served in the Iowa National Guard from 19982019. He reached the rank of Staff Sergeant and served three tours in Iraq in 2003-04. He was deployed to the California-Mexico border in 2006-07. Behrens returned to Iraq in 2008-09 where he led trucks hauling supplies such as heavy equipment, dozers and uniforms.
The quilts bestowed on the veterans are typically 60 x 80 inches and made of high-quality 100 percent cotton. Most of the quilts include a red, white and blue motif, though that’s not required. All the quilting and long-arming is donated. Members of Quilts of Valor can apply to get reimbursed for materials, but most local quilters are happy to donate of their own
accord. On the back of the quilt is a tag with the veteran’s name, rank, service branch, and the names of those who made the quilt. If a quilt has already been made, but the intended recipient dies before its presentation, then it is given to his or her family as a Quilt of Honor.
Sioux Stitchers member Jane Anema of Sioux Center has made four quilts, one for her husband, Jim, and one for each of his brothers, all of whom served in the military. The brothers are originally from the Sanborn area. Anema said one brother-in-law and one of their family friends were spat upon when they returned from service in Vietnam. “That is horrible. The disrespect they endured is, for me, one of the reasons I feel the need for a program like Quilts of Valor,” she said. Anema also made a Quilt of Honor, given to a family whose husband and father was killed in an accident.
Surrounded by his family, Conn Van Roekel (in the red shirt) received a Quilt of Valor from the Sioux Center American Legion Auxiliary at Grand Living Assisted Living at Lake Lorraine, Sioux Falls, SD.
Jane Anema made Quilts of Valor for her husband, Jim, and his brothers, Vern, Bob and Fred. They are natives of Sanborn.
At the 2022 Sioux Center High School Veterans Day assembly, Wayne Van Voorst received a Quilt of Valor from the Sioux Center American Legion Auxiliary.
REMEMBERING THE VETERANS OF ‘THE FORGOTTEN WAR’
Almost 75 years ago, North Korean forces, supplied and advised by the Soviet Union, invaded South Korea in an attempt to unite the peninsula under communist rule. South Korea and the United States, ultimately under the auspices of the United Nations, fought back. The war marked the first hot spot in the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union; the first time the U.S. demonstrated its military commitment to the containment of communism; affirmed that decisions on American foreign policy resided with elected officials and not military commanders; and demonstrated the difficulty of “winning” within an approach of limited warfare.
In square miles, the Korean peninsula is about the same size as the state of Utah. Nonetheless, the loss of life during the war was staggering:
• 39,000 military personnel of the United Nations were killed (92 percent of whom were Americans, including 500 Iowans).
• 217,000 South Korean military personnel were killed.
• 406,000 North Korean forces were killed.
• 600,000 Chinese troops were killed.
• 1,600,000 Korean civilians (combined on both sides of the border) were killed.
newspapers that few country editors believed the U.S. and South Korea had a right to celebrate victory, nor was there even a strong belief that hostilities were really over.
Private Paul H. Jess, a former employee of the Lyon County Reporter, wrote a public letter about the armistice which the Reporter published on August 13, 1953. Pvt. Jess wrote: “Various emotions upon hearing truce signing over the radio. Relief the most prominent. Relief and the relaxing of tensions and taut nerves. A feeling of general ‘well-being.’ Happiness that so many imprisoned Americans (and ROKs) will be returning to freedom.”
An editorial in the Rock Valley Bee of August 13, 1953, showed skepticism: “… We don’t have too much faith in this truce; just can’t feel that it is a genuine armistice …” In the Boyden Reporter on July 30, 1953, publisher Cal Stickel said the “socalled armistice” was not really the beginning of a peaceful era.
“I’m too afraid that it is merely a stall for time as a lot of ‘cease fire’ or armistice signings have been in the past.”
In a column published by several local newspapers, Republican Congressman Charles B. Hoeven (of Alton) called the armistice “an uneasy truce.” He continued, “The fact that truce has been negotiated in Korea does not necessarily mean that we will have peace. Much remains to be done before the world can settle into peaceful living.” Finally, he prophetically said, “… sooner or later a comprehensive settlement of the whole Far Eastern problem will have to be considered.”
Despite the historic mileposts and the tremendous loss of life, the conflict in Korea came to be known in the U.S. as “the forgotten war.” In fact, veterans from the more divisive war in Vietnam received long overdue recognition and appreciation even before Korean War veterans did.
WHY WAS THE KOREAN WAR OVERLOOKED?
An armistice on July 27, 1953, stopped the bullets and the bombing. But the boundary between the northern and southern halves of Korea was virtually unchanged. In the weeks following the ceasefire, it is not hard to discern from commentary in local
The Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. Photo by Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Chase Baran, U.S. Department of Defense.
American soldiers in battle during the Korean War. Photo from
The headline in the Sioux City Journal on July 27, 1953.
By Bob Fitch
NO WILD JUBLIATION
The lack of a decisive victory and the lack of a formal peace agreement contributed to the subdued welcome soldiers received upon returning to the United States. The headline in the July 27, 1953, Le Mars Globe-Post was very telling: “Korean Truce Causes No Wild Jubilation Among People At Le Mars.” The Globe-Post reported: “News of the Korean Armistice was received calmly in Le Mars. There was none of the wild rejoicing that followed the armistice of World War II, because that was an armistice of victory, while the Korean armistice is a stalemate which constitutes a defeat of the announced U.N. intention to unify Korea.”
The Korean War Legacy Foundation says 10 months before the war ended US News and World Report already published an article titled “Korea: The Forgotten War.” The Army Times also used the term “forgotten” when it described American soldiers in Korea as “lonesome symbols of a nation
too busy or too economy-minded [to think about the war].” Because only a few years had passed since the end of World War II and because Americans knew little about Korea, the citizenry of the United States did not widely acknowledge or grapple with the Korean War.
Up to this point in the country’s history, the U.S. had never lost a war and had no emotional mechanism for how to react to a “tie” in warfare. Only a decade later, the U.S. entered the hostilities in Vietnam. As Vietnam ground down to disappointing end – some might call it a debacle – the country still did not have an emotional ability to separate the results of war from the soldiers who served at their country’s call.
NO MORE VETERANS FORGOTTEN
In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan’s “city on a hill” spirit helped restore American patriotism after the country struggled through the Vietnam
The Korean War marker that is part of the Veterans Memorial in Le Mars.
REMEMBER THE FALLEN
KOREAN WAR CASUALTIES FROM LYON, SIOUX, PLYMOUTH COUNTIES
Marine PFC John W. Brodie of Le Mars
Army PFC William J. Brower of Rock Rapids
Army Private Gerald D. Hofmeyer, Hospers
Navy Quartermaster Stephen V. Hoschler of Akron
Army Private Harley J. Lottman of Alvord
Army PFC Harold B. Vorthems of Granville
Marine PFC Dean W. White of Kingsley
War, Watergate, the collapse of trust in presidential leadership under Johnson and Nixon, and the Iran hostage crisis. The rise in patriotism coincided with the 1982 dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which dramatically focused on the men and women who died fighting there. That focus helped advance the realization that even if the country was politically divided over the purposes or execution of a war, military personnel who gave their lives and the veterans who gave their service still deserve a place of honor and recognition – and a proper “welcome home.” This mindset has largely remained intact and grown during the politically controversial wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the last 30 years. We can honor our veterans, even if we disagree with the country’s political leaders.
Sources
• www.newspapers.com
• Sioux County Newspapers Digital Archive
• Plymouth County Newspapers Digital Archive
• Korean War Legacy Foundation
• Korean War Veterans Memorial, National Park Service
• Iowa PBS
• www.wehonorveterans.org
The impact of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial spurred Korean War veterans and their families to advocate for their own overdue “welcome home” and recognition of their earlier sacrifices. After years of effort, the Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated in 1992.
The emotional impact of these two memorials generated a patriotic response in communities across the country. Veterans organizations – such as the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars – were inspired to build memorials honoring veterans in their hometowns. Communities are ensuring that veterans are never overlooked again as were the casualties and veterans in the “forgotten war” in Korea.
• U.S. Government archives, Korean War Casualty Lists
• U.S. Department of Defense, media
• Wikipedia.com and WikimediaCommons.com
• Des Moines Register, August 2, 1953
LOADED MASHED POTATOES
INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs Red Potatoes
2 tsp Minced Garlic
1 packet Ranch Seasoning 1 oz.
1/4 cup Butter
3/4 cup Milk
1/2 tsp Salt
6 Slices Bacon cooked and crumbled
1 cup Sour Cream
2 cups Cheddar Cheese Shredded 1/2 cup Chives
DIRECTIONS:
1. Clean the potatoes and quarter them (leave the skin on).
2. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
3. Drain the potatoes and then return them back to the pot.
4. Then add in the garlic, ranch seasoning, butter, salt and 1/2 a cup of the milk. Use an electric mixer to blend the potatoes until they are light and fluffy.
5. Add in the sour cream and gradually add in the remaining milk until the mashed potatoes are the consistency that you prefer.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place the mashed potatoes in a 9x9 baking pan.
7. Then top the mashed potatoes with the shredded cheese, bacon and chives.
8. Cover with foil (slightly tent the foil so that it does not stick to the cheese) and bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is completely melted.
