thank you for your sacrifice...
...we honor you.
cemetery staff prepares to host dedication ceremony page 2 all gave some and some gave all in vietnam page 4 famous wwii nurse was born in fillmore county page 5 chatfield resident recalls the last battle of the vietnam war page 6 rushford honors veterans with memorial park page 13
we salute you.
memorial day v.f.w. and american legion post programs pages 8, 9 & 10
Honoring Those who gave their all.
Page 2
FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL
Monday, May 23, 2016
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Cemetery staff prepares to host dedication ceremony
The staff at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Preston, Minn. is preparing for a dedication ceremony to be held on Sunday, May 29, 2016. Left to right: Rob Gross, Sasha Holst, Chuck Pederson, John Marzolf, Mike Gudmundson, John Kinneberg, Scott Leddy, and John Dollar.
Photo by Jason Sethre
By Jason Sethre Honorable. Memorable. Patriotic. Those are three words that will most likely describe Sunday, May 29, 2016 in Preston, Minn. Now home to a $10.1 million 169-acre state veterans cemetery dedicated to honoring those who have served our country, Preston has earned another distinction besides “Minnesota’s Trout Capital”. The Minnesota Veterans Cemetery in Preston, Minn. is the largest veterans cemetery in the state, serving veterans for more than a 70-mile radius of Fillmore’s county seat. And, on this special Sunday before Memorial Day, the staff at the new cemetery will be hosting a dedication ceremony. According to Cemetery Supervisor Rob Gross, there will be pre-ceremony music by 34 ID Band Brass Quintet starting at 1:30 p.m. Then, at 2 p.m. the ceremonies will formally commence with a flyover directed by Jerry Kyser with the Minnesota Vietnam Veterans Charity. Following a welcoming message from Gross, local posts will
present a Parade of Flags. And, after the Minnesota Military Funeral Honors Team has posted the colors, Master of Ceremonies KQ98 radio show host Phil Costigan will deliver a message with his captivating voice. Christ Lutheran Pastor Dan Bredberg will present an invocation, followed by Chuck Amunrud who will lead the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. The event will continue with the “National Anthem”, “America the Beautiful”, and a number of other powerful music selections. The keynote speaker will be U.S. Representative Tim Walz, followed by a Memorial address from three state officials. There will be a Blue Star Memorial Dedication right before Kaitlyn Gross sings “God Bless the U.S.A.”. As the ceremony concludes, the Preston Memorial Rifle Squad will demonstrate a rifle salute while “TAPS” is played. And, after the Minnesota Military Funeral Honors Team retires the colors, David Swantek, Sr. Administrator of Memorial
Affairs for the Minnesota State Veterans Cemeteries will share his closing remarks. Cemetery Supervisor Rob Gross indicated that they have no idea of what to expect for this event. He said they have been receiving calls from people all over Minnesota who are planning on attending the event. At this time, they have prepared seating for up to 300 individuals, so they are suggesting that attendees plan on bringing a lawn chair if they want guaranteed seating. His staff along with volunteers will be shuttling people from their vehicles to the seating area with the help of eight golf carts they have lined up for the event. In addition, they will be designating certain areas for various parking considerations. And while the cemetery staff may cross their fingers for good weather on Sunday, May 29, 2016, the entire team won’t leave the presentation of their cemetery to chance. The eight person team will be working diligently in the days ahead. This team has every reason to care for the presentation of this
cemetery. All of the employees working at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Preston are locals. Cemetery Supervisor Rob Gross A resident of Spring Grove, Minn., living with his wife and two children, Gross has extensive experience relating to veterans. From 1995 to 1999, he served as a medic with the Air Cav as well as a Texas Paramedic with the US Army, 1st Cavalry Division, HHC 4th Brigade, Ft. Hood. While studying at Grand View College in Des Moines, Iowa, he studied public relations, commercial art and communications. He also served as the Houston County Veteran Service Officer from 1999 to 2015, prior to accepting his position as the Cemetery Supervisor of the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Preston. He feels that as a true extrovert, he brings communication, public relations and outreach, the ability to empathize and engage with the public, funeral homes, families, veteran service organizations, elected officials, county agencies
and the media. Cemetery Representative Sasha Holst Sasha was raised in Lanesboro, and now lives outside of town on a farm with her husband Jeremiah along with their three children. She currently serves as the Office and Administrative Specialist Sr. at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery. For the last ten years, she was the Store Leader at Kwik Trip in Spring Valley, Minn., managing a team of more than 30 employees. She brings organizational and people skills to her new position at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Preston. According to Sasha, she is “empathetic and caring, which is needed when working with families that are planning their loved ones final arrangements.” Holst is honored to work in this meaningful and rewarding position with veterans and their families. And, she is proud to be part of such a great team. She added that she is thankful for all those that have served. See CEREMONY Page 11
Minnesota state Veterans CeMetery
Preston
The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs
Minnesota Veterans Cemetery - Preston Dedication Ceremony May 29, 2016
Minnesota state Veterans CeMetery– Preston 715 Highway 52 Preston, MN 55965 (507) 765-7320 MinnesotaVeteran.org/Cem
Page 4
FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL
Monday, May 23, 2016
The FCJ reaches over 13,000 households each week.
Honoring
thank you for your sacrifice...
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Those who gave their all.
we salute you.
All gave some and some gave all in Vietnam By Jason Sethre While the Vietnam War lasted from November 1955 to April 1975, a black cloud seemed to hang over Fillmore County from 1965 to 1970. Out of the 58,307 U.S. soldiers who died in the Vietnam War, 11 of those men came from Fillmore County. The first young man to die was Jerry Allen Johnson of Rushford. After serving four years in the Army, and then reenlisting in the service, at the age of 23, he died of pneumonia at the Bien Hoa Base, South Vietnam. He had been there with the 1st Division for less than two weeks before he died on August 9, 1965. He was buried at Choice Cemetery, Choice. On March 27, 1966, Harlan Riehl, a Navy man, died in the Thua Thien Province at the age of 22. This young Spring Valley man was one of two servicemen featured in a WCCO-TV film on Vietnam in January by a Minneapolis correspondent and photographer, less than three
months before he died. He was buried at Spring Valley Cemetery, Spring Valley. Less than three months later, a young Preston man by the name of Steven Miller was also killed in action in Vietnam. At the age of 20, he was the first Preston boy to lose his life serving his country in the Vietnam War. He entered the service in November 1966 and died June 19, 1967, just eight months later. He was buried at United Methodist Cemetery, Preston. On December 5, 1967, a Spring Valley man named Thelmer Rudlong was killed in action as a result of wounds inflicted when a passing truck hit an enemy mine. He was serving in the Army in the Quang Ngai Province at the time. He was the second Spring Valley man killed in action in the Vietnam War, and was buried at the Spring Valley Cemetery, Spring Valley. Roger Lee Batt became the third Spring Valley man killed in action on January 14, 1968.
While serving in the Army in the jungles of Long An Province, he was scouting for the enemy. He died from a gunshot wound in combat, and was buried at Etna Cemetery, in rural Spring Valley. On September 4, 1968, the parents of Army man William Lucas were notified that their son was missing in action. On September 6, just two days later, military authorities reported that the he died of gunshot wounds in combat in the Quang Tri Province. Lucas’ body was returned to his hometown of Wykoff to rest in peace at the St. Johns Cemetery, Wykoff. The month of November in 1968 was troublesome for the little town of Mabel. On November 26, 1968, Harold Housker was killed in action in the Thua Thien Province while serving in the Army. In late August he visited his family in Mabel while on leave, and then left for Vietnam on September 5. Less than three months later, Harold would return to be buried with military honors
at Scheie Cemetery, Mabel. Then, on November 27, 1968, exactly one day after Harold Housker was killed in action, Allan Duneman, another Mabel man, died at the age of 25 when a helicopter he was piloting crashed in the Tay Ninh Province. Allan left behind his wife, Theresa Staples, and their daughter Kelly, who was only 5-years-old at the time. He was brought back to Minnesota to be buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. Wesley Stevens, at the young age of 18, was serving in the Army in the Quang Tin Province for less than two months when was killed in hostile action in the Vietnam War. This Peterson boy was brought back to his homeland to be buried at the North Prairie Cemetery, Lanesboro. Inducted into the Army in November of 1967, David Michel became another casualty of the Vietnam War on June 11, 1969. After he was killed in action in the Quang Nam Province, his body was brought back to be buried in the St. Matthews Cemetery, Granger. A Whalan man, Kerry
Gossman, was found dead in his bed while serving in the U.S. Army in the Binh Duong Province on October 15, 1970. His death was the result of unknown causes. Gossman was buried at St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Lanesboro. These men died while serving the United States of America in the Vietnam War. There are other soldiers who physically survived the war, but they carry with them emotional burdens of war even to this day. They may not talk about what they saw or experienced, but it is always there sitting on a shelf in the back of their mind.
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The Official Legal Newspaper for Fillmore County
Monday, May 23, 2016
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FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL
Page 5
thank you for your sacrifice...
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we salute you.
Famous WWII nurse was born in Fillmore County By Barb Jeffers A well-known WWII nurse who was born and spent her formative years in the Harmony, Minn. area lived to help others and has been recognized and remembered for her service in many ways. Hortense E. McKay was born northeast of Harmony, Minn. on a farm on July 16, 1910. She was the second child of George and Lydia (Hahn) McKay. Her siblings included Mabel, Peter, George, and Wallace. After the family moved to the Brainerd, Minn. area, she graduated from Brainerd High School and then attended St. Cloud Teacher’s College and University of Minnesota School of Nursing in 1933. Following college, McKay worked as a teacher and worked in the Deerwood TB Sanitarium. Public Health work took her to Louisville, Kentucky, and Galveston, Tex. McKay joined the Army in 1936 to aid those who needed medical attention. McKay entered the U.S. Army
Lieutenant Colonel Hortense E. McKay, who bacame a famous WWII Army nurse, was born near Harmony, Minn. Photo courtesy of findagrave.com Nurse Corps at Fort Benning in Georgia in 1939 when the Nazis invaded Poland. While there, she handled patients with pneumonia and influenza. According to the website en.ww2awards.com, in 1941 she arrived in the Philippines at
USAT Grant, Manilla and was stationed at Fort Stotsenburg, working in the hospital. After being evacuated to Corregidor on December 24, she cared for the wounded in the Malinta railroad tunnel hospital. Early in 1942 she was transferred to the primitive Hospital 2 at Bataan, where she served in the jungles of the Philippines after the attack on Pearl Harbor. She returned once more to Malinta Tunnel Hospital and was evacuated on May 3, 1942. McKay was next evacuated on the USS Spearfish submarine going from the Philippines to Australia spending three years working in Leyte, New Guinea, and the Philippines. McKay helped to reorganize the Army Nurse Corps in 1945. In June of 1949 she graduated from the University of Minnesota earning a bachelor of science degree in nursing. In 1953, she became the director of the department of nursing at the Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, Tex., until leaving in 1956. She
was Chief Nurse in Orleans, France at the Fort Eustis VA Army Hospital until 1957. McKay then worked as assistant chief of nursing at Fort Ord, Calif., until she retired in 1960 as a Lieutenant Colonel. She was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for her aid with the sick and wounded soldiers in the Philippine Islands during WWII. Hortense Eleanor McKay passed away at the University of Minnesota Hospital on January 15, 1988 while undergoing a second heart surgery. She is buried at the Scotland Cemetery at the Richland Prairie Church in rural Harmony as are her parents. A book about McKay’s life entitled Jungle Angel: Bataan Remembered by Hortense E. McKay and Maxine K. Russell tells the story of the famous WWII Army nurse. The book tells of the conditions McKay worked and lived in while in the jungle. In one excerpt McKay said “I was in charge of feeding 90 people from a 12 quart bucket. The contents were a strange mix-
ture, a kind a ‘Bataan stew’, with maybe some mule or horsemeat, carabao (caribou), even monkey, perhaps fish, rice and occasionally a few green weeds or maybe vegetables” for everyone to share. In 2015, the Minnesota National Guard dedicated its new combat medical training center in honor of Hortense E. McKay. The Medical Simulation Training Center, which is located at Camp Ripley in Little Falls, Minn., is the first building at Camp Ripley to be named for a female soldier. Her brother, Wallace McKay, now 91, attended the christening of the “LTC Hortense E. McKay MSTC” combat training center on October 4, 2015. When asked if he was proud of his sister’s accomplishments, Wallace stated, “Very much so,” saying that she “carried out her responsibilities” during her time in the service. Wallace was also a soldier, joining the U.S. Navy, and serving his country during WWII. He recollects being able to see his sister at different times in far See MCKAY Page 6
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FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL
Page 6
Monday, May 23, 2016
The Official Legal Newspaper for Fillmore County
Honoring
Those who gave their all.
we salute you.
MCKAY
Continued from Page 5
away countries during the war. There was a time when Wallace’s ship went to Brisbane, Australia and Hortense was in Sydney, Australia and he asked permission to receive a ten day leave to go and visit her in Sydney “and they graciously gave it to me,” he says. On another occasion Wallace states, “My ship was at Hollandia, New Guinea and she and some friends of hers came aboard ship for Thanksgiving Dinner 1944,” which is a fond memory of his. Greg Turner, of Mabel, Minn., who is a first cousin once removed of McKay’s says “I remember her coming to the ‘McKay Clan’ reunions” and states he has “read about her” actions and accomplishments and is surely as impressed as everyone else who learns of her life of service. When looking for heralded war-time heroes from our area you will find quite a few to choose from. Hortense E. McKay is high on that list due to her bravery, dedication, and selfless service to her country.
Chatfield resident recalls the last battle of the Vietnam War By Hannah Wingert Clark Wiger thought he had put his time in the military behind him. He’d served as a hospital corpsman third class in the Navy from 1971 through 1975, enlisting at the age of 17. After he got out of the Navy, he returned home to Minnesota and moved on with his life. But, in 2003, he was at breakfast with his kids when he happened to see an article in the Des Moines Register about the Mayaguez Incident. “I was there for that!” he exclaimed. The Mayaguez Incident was the last battle of the Vietnam War and took place May 15, 1975. The Khmer Rouge regime had seized the American cargo ship Mayaguez while it sailed through Cambodian waters and was holding it on the Cambodian island of Koh Tang. President Gerald Ford ordered a rescue operation of the civilian crew. The entire crew was saved alive and the mission was declared a success and hailed as a “victory at
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Vietnam Veteran Clark Wiger, in his home in Chatfield, remembers those who lost their lives in the last battle of Vietnam. Photo by Hannah Wingert sea!” in the May 1975 edition of Newsweek. Unfortunately, due to poor planning, underestimation of enemy forces on the island, and a lack of communication, 41 members
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of the U.S. military lost their lives in the assault. Twenty-three Marines were killed in a helicopter crash in Thailand while training for the mission and another 18
lost their lives during the battle. Three Marines were abandoned alive on the island after the crew of the Mayaguez was rescued, and U.S. forces pulled out. They were later captured and killed. “We never knew about that,” Wiger recalled. “No one did until 30 years later.” In 1975, Wiger was stationed on the USS Henry B. Wilson, a guided missile destroyer. The ship was involved in Operation Eagle Pull, which was an evacuation of U.S. citizens from Cambodia. Later, the crew assisted in the evacuation of Vietnam. The USS Wilson was the last U.S. warship to be fired on by a hostile shore battery and also the last to leave Vietnamese territorial waters. On May 12, 1975, while en route to the Philippines, the USS Wilson was called to take part in the rescue of the Mayaguez crew. As they were 1,000 miles away at the time, they did not arrive until 7 a.m.
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FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL
Page 7
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WIGER
ContaCt Your LegisLators
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on May 15, after the battle had begun. By the time they got there, three helicopters had already been shot down. The crew of the Wilson, including Wiger, pulled 13 Marines from the water. They spent the day treating the injured. “The whole operation was a mess,” Wiger said. “It was planned too quickly and wasn’t executed well.” He went on to say that President Gerald Ford and Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, used the incident to make a statement to the world after the controversy of the Vietnam War. The abandonment of three Marines on the island was covered up for 30 years. Some of the Marines who were sent in had never even seen battle. Since the truth behind the Mayaguez Incident came to light, about 10 trips have been made back to the island to recover the remains of the US soldiers killed during the battle. “May 15th is kind of my memorial day,” Wiger said. “A
Governor
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tiM Walz
Office of the Governor 130 State Capitol 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. St. Paul, MN 55155 800-657-3717 651-201-3400 mark.dayton@state.mn.us
walz.house.gov Washington D.C. Office 1034 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 202-225-2472 202-225-3433 Fax Rochester Office 1130 1/2 7th St. NW, Ste 208 Rochester, MN 55901 507-206-0643
State Representatives GreG DaviDs
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Clark Wiger, second from left in glasses, took part in rescuing a crew that was shot down during the Mayaguez Incident, the last battle of Vietnam in 1975. lot of the other Koh Tang veterans say the same thing.” Wiger received a Navy Achievement Medal with combat action for his part in the recovery of the Mayaguez crew. He and the other Koh Tang veterans are a part of history. “If the Navy gave me anything, it was a career,” Wiger noted. Because of his training and experience as a medic in the Navy, Wiger was able to
work as a paramedic when he returned to the states, a job that took him through his working years. Wiger is now retired and living in Chatfield, where he enjoys time with his family. He recently joined the VFW and the Legion. Wiger plans to attend the 2016 Koh Tang Veterans reunion in Cincinnati and hopes to learn more about what really happened during the battle that day in 1975.
U.S. Senator aMy klobuchar
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2016
Fountain American Legion
Romas-Mailia Post #492 • Nevin Vrieze, Adjutant
Memorial Day Program Monday, May 30, 2016
7:30 a.m. ............................... 8:15 a.m................................. 8:30 a.m. ............................... 8:45 a.m. ............................... 9:00 a.m. ............................... 9:15 a.m. ............................... 9:45 a.m. ...............................
Canton American Legion
Legionaires meet at the Community Hall Winslow Cemetery Fountain Lutheran Cemetery Fountain Catholic Cemetery Root Prairie Cemetery Wykoff St. John’s Cemetery Watson Creek Cemetery
★★★★★★★★★★
Lanesboro American Legion
Paul Blegan Post #400 Doug Marin, Commander
Henry M. Guttormson Post #40 • Rick Schnaufer, Commander
Monday, May 30, 2016 • 9:00 a.m.
Monday, May 30, 2016
Memorial Day Program Canton Town Hall Speaker - Richard Bjertness
★★★★★★★★★★ Harmony American Legion Gustav Berg Post #81, Commander Shaun Hoff
Memorial Day Program
Monday, May 30, 2016 11:00 a.m. Fillmore Central High School Gymnasium, Harmony, MN
“America the Beautiful”........ 7th & 8th Grade Jazz Band Advancement of Colors ........ American Legion Post #81 “National Anthem”................ 7th & 8th Grade Jazz Band Pledge of Allegiance ............. Audience Invocation ............................. Father Joe Hennen Gold Star Mothers’ Tribute ... Diane Strahl Special Music Selection ........ Jacque Ryan Memorial Day Address ......... Commander Shaun Hoff “In Flanders Fields” .............. Hailey Lange “We Shall Keep the Faith”.... Heather Barth “Stars and Stripes”................ 7th & 8th Grade Jazz Band Benediction ........................... Father Joe Hennen Retiring of Colors ................. American Legion Post #81 Grave Service and raising the colors following in Selvig Park 7th and 8th Grade Jazz Band under the direction of Lane Powell
★★★★★★★★★★ Mabel V.F.W.
Kittelson-Onsgard Post #5769 • Jason Marquardt, Commander
Mabel American Legion
Joseph B. Lund Post #299 • Robert Schutte, Commander
Memorial Day Program
Monday, May 30, 2016 • 11:30 a.m.
7:00 a.m............................. 7:30 a.m............................. 8:30 a.m............................. 9:00 a.m............................. 9:45 a.m............................. 10:15 a.m........................... 10:45 a.m........................... 11:15 a.m ........................... 11:20 a.m. .......................... 11:30 a.m. .......................... Advance of Colors ............ National Anthem............... Invocation ......................... Musical Selection .............. Memorial Day Address ..... Pledge to Allegiance ......... Gold Star Mothers Tribute .. Memorial Ritual at the Crosses .................. Benediction .......................
Meet at Mabel Legion Highland Lutheran Graveside Rituals Hesper Lutheran Graveside Rituals Hesper Public Graveside Rituals Burr Oak Cemetery Graveside Rituals Henrytown Cemetery Graveside Rituals Prosper Cemetery Graveside Rituals Meet at Mabel Legion March to Steam Engine Grounds Program at Steam Engine Grounds American Legion-VFW Drill Squad Solo Eddie Macha Mabel-Canton Band Matt Larson All Legion Auxiliary Legion-VFW and Boy Scouts Mildred Danielson, Legion Auxiliary Chaplain
Potluck Dinner at the Mabel Legion Hall
In the event of rain, the program will be in the Mabel-Canton High School Auditorium
Memorial Day Program
9:45 a.m................................. 10:00 a.m. ............................. Presentation of Colors ........... National Anthem ................... Invocation ............................. Recognition of Gold Star Mothers ...................... Musical Selection .................. Reflections on America ......... Memorial Day Address ......... God Bless America ............... Benediction ........................... Presentation of Flowers......... Gun Salute to the Dead & Taps
Parade from School to Lanesboro War Memorial Community Center Program begins in Lanesboro War Memorial Community Center American Legion Color Guard Lanesboro High School Band American Legion Chaplain American Legion Auxiliary Lanesboro School Band Lanesboro High School Seniors Richard Wolfgramm Audience Amer. Legion Auxiliary Chaplain By Our Children American Legion Post #40
★★★★★★★★★★ Peterson American Legion Gilbertson-Rude Post #526 James Loven, Commander
Memorial Day Program Monday, May 30, 2016 10:00 a.m. Program at City Park
“Pevensey Castle” ................................. Placing of Colors................................... “Star-Spangled Banner” ........................ Welcome....................................................... Invocation ............................................ “This is My Country” ........................... “In Flanders Fields” ............................ “Answer to In Flanders Fields” ........... Introduction of Guest Speaker ................ Memorial Day Address ....................... “Hail America”...................................... Benediction ........................................... Firing Squad .......................................... Taps .......................................................
R-P Middle School Band American Legion Post #526 R-P Middle School Band James Loven Pastor Sarah Brown R-P Middle School Band Leah Himlie Julia Maynard James Loven Chris Boyum Ralph Schneekloth R-P Middle School Band Pastor Sarah Brown American Legion Post #526 Jacob James Travis Mensink
In the event of rain, the program will be held in the Peterson Middle School Auditorium R-P Middle School Band Directed by Mr. Jacob Olson. Lunch by Peterson American Legion Auxiliary to follow in Veterans Park. Everyone Welcome.
May 30th
2016 Preston American Legion Vial Post #166 • Jay Myer, Commander Preston V.F.W.
Magdlin-Gilbertson Post #6893 • Don Brockway, Commander VFW & American Legion Auxiliaries Sons of the American Legion Erlyn Marzolf, Commander
Memorial Day Program
Monday, May 30, 2016 • 9:30 a.m.
At Christ Lutheran Church, Preston
Welcome................................ Advancement of Colors “National Anthem”................ Invocation ............................
“In Flanders Fields”............... “America, the Beautiful”....... Tribute to Gold Star Mothers.. Memorial Day Address ....... Calling of the Roll................. Announcements ................... Benediction............................ Retirement of Colors
Ron Scheevel
F-C 7th/8th Grade Band Pastor Deanna Woodward Pastor Dan Bredberg Madison Scheevel F-C 7th/8th Grade Band Elayna Kiehne Pastor Dan Bredberg Phil Durst & Don Brockway Ron Scheevel Pastor Dan Bredberg
At West Bridge
Prayer .................................... Presentation of the Wreath .... “Taps” .................................
Pastor Dan Bredberg Norman Schultz Jim Pickett
At Crown Hill Cemetery
Houston American Legion
Arnet Sheldon Post #423 • Richard Snow, Commander
Memorial Day Program Monday, May 30, 2016
8:00-9:30 a.m.: Boy Scout Breakfast, Houston Community Center (Free to All Veterans, Free Will Donation for Others) 10:00 a.m.: Memorial Program, Houston City Park Music Selections by Houston H.S. Band Dedication of POW-MIA memorial bench Roll call of the Dead In case of rain, activities will be held at Houston High School.
★★★★★★★★★★ Whalan American Legion Erickson-Rose Post #637 Steve Erickson, Commander
Memorial Day Program Sunday, May 29, 2016
7:00 p.m. - Whalan Town Hall Program by members. Refreshments will follow program.
★★★★★★★★★★ Wykoff American Legion
Stahl-Linnemeyer Post #369 • John Glady, Commander
Memorial Day Program
Prayer .................................... Pastor Dan Bredberg Rifle Volley-21 Gun Salute ... Servicemen Color Guard “Taps” ................................... Jim Pickett All VFW/American Legion members and Auxillary members are invited to join the Color Guard for the ceremony. Any active or reserve servicemen and women are also invited to march. Thanks to the F-C Band Director Lane Powell and the 7th/8th grade band for muscial selections.
10:30 a.m. - Fillmore Cemetery Memorial Day Address - Dallas Groten Music Selections by Kingsland School Band Director - Josh Hogberg Presentation of the Wreath - Marlene Rollie
Calling of Roll to be done in church. Color Guard will travel to Greenleafton for 11:30 am service.
In case of rain, program will be held at Fillmore Free Methodist Church
Monday, May 30, 2016
★★★★★★★★★★ Rushford VFW VFW Post 5905 Maynard LaFleur, Commander
Rushford American Legion
Murphy - Johnson Post #94 • Scuffy Paulson, Commander
Memorial Day Program Monday, May 30, 2016
7:00 a.m......................... Breakfast-Legion, free to Veterans 7:30 a.m......................... Assemble Fire Squad-Legion for Cemetery Honors 10:30 a.m....................... Service at Veterans’ Memorial Park at City Hall Music ............................ Presentation of the Colors . National Anthem ........... Pledge of Allegiance ..... Welcome........................ Invocation ..................... Introduction of Speaker Memorial Day Address Benediction ................... Salute to the Fallen........ Taps ...............................
(Alternate location for weather is the R/P High School Auditorium)
R-P Band VFW Post 5905 & American Legion Post #94 R-P Band All Scuffy Paulson Pastor Brenda Ziebell Legion Commander Scuffy Paulson Master Sgt. Larry Karr Pastor Brenda Ziebell Ron Peterson, Squad Leader Derek Berg
11:30 am - until gone - Brat & Burger Feed at the Rushford Legion Hall. All Are Welcome. Free will donations.
“Freedom Is Not Free”
Let us never forget the patriotism and courage of those who sacrificed everything for the sake of the country they so dearly loved. It is an honor to recognize the heroism and service of these great American heroes. They have forever earned a place in the heart of our grateful nation.
2016
Chatfield American Legion
Bailey-Kinnear Post #197 • Myron Maker Commander
Memorial Day Program
Monday, May 30, 2016 Chatfieldl High School Auditorium, Chatfield, MN 9:45 a.m. ............................... 10:00 a.m...............................
Ostrander American Legion
Hanson-Hatlestad Post #544, Larry Christenson, Commander
Memorial Day Program Monday, May 30, 2016
9:30 a.m................................. Bennington Cemetery 9:45 a.m................................. ostrander Cemetery 10:00 a.m............................... Bloomfield Cemetery 10:30 a.m............................... Etna Cemetery Main Service 11:00 a.m............................... Cherry Grove Cemetery Lunch following at Cherry Grove Community Center
★★★★★★★★★★ Spring Valley V.F.W.
Hanson-raabe Post #4114 • Steve o’Connor, Commander
Spring Valley American Legion
Everett H. Hale Post #68 • Jim Cavanaugh, Commander
Memorial Day Program Monday, May 30, 2016
Muster Honor Guard outside gym Memorial Day Program at High School Auditorium
ProGrAM Welcome and Acknowldegment.. Commander Myron Maker of all Veterans Presentation of Colors ........... American Legion VFW Boy Scouts Troop 43 National Anthem ................... Chatfield High School Band, Directed by Katy Jablonski Pledge of Allegiance ............. Myron Maker and Audience Invocation ............................. Chaplain Greg Forbes “America the Beautiful”........ CHS Band and Audience Gettysburg Address............... Allie Hanson Guest Speaker........................ Glenn Moeller Past Vice Commander 1st District MN Placing of Wreath.................. Girl Scouts Calling of the rolls............... Dick Billings Calling of of the rolls.......... . Myron Maker PoW/MIA’s Vietnam “In Flanders Fields” .............. Ashlee Maker Freedom is Not Free.............. Kaylee Maker “Ischon” ................................ Chatfield High School Band Benediction ........................... Chaplin Greg Forbes retiring of Colors ................. American Legion VFW Boy Scouts Troop 43 rifle Salute ............................ outside of High School by American Legion and VFW Taps ....................................... Abby Hopp & Mitchell Stailey Memorial Day Program is sponsored by American Legion Bailey-Kinnear Post 197 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Giese-Kelsey Post 6913 Lunch is being served by the VFW Auxiliary at the VFW Post following the program. The public is welcome.
VETErANS MEMorIAL 9:45 a.m............................. Musical Selection: Kingsland High School Band Prayer................................. American Legion Chaplain roger Svebakken Laying of the Wreaths....... Auxiliaries Salute to the Dead............. Honor Guard Taps CoMMuNITy CENTEr 10:00 a.m........................... Call to order - Commander Steve o’Connor Presentation of Colors ....... VFW Color Guard Pledge of Allegiance.......... All National Anthem ............... Julie Mlinar Invocation ......................... American Legion Chaplin roger Svebakken Patriotic Music .................. Cindy Seabright and Friends Introduction of Speaker..... Commander Steve o’Connor Memorial Day Address ....... Nathan Pike Patriotic Music ................ Cindy Seabright and Friends Announcements................. Steve o’Connor retiring of the Colors.......... VFW Color Guard SPrING VALLEy BrIDGE Salute to those lost at sea .. VFW Honor Guard, American Legion Chaplin and Auxiliaries SPrING VALLEy CEMETEry Call to order ..................... Commander Steve o’Connor Invocation ......................... American Legion Chaplin roger Svebakken Placing of Memorial Wreaths...Auxiliaries Salute of the Dead ............... VFW Honor Guard Taps
Pork chop dinner to follow the program Sponsored by the American Legion
May 30th
Share your thoughts at www.fillmorecountyjournal.com
Monday, May 23, 2016
Honoring
FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL
Page 11
thank you for your sacrifice...
...we honor you.
Those who gave their all.
we salute you.
ceremony
Continued from Page 2
Seasonal Groundskeeper Chuck Pederson Residing south of Rushford on a farm, Chuck Pederson has been a dairy farmer for 30 years and also owner and operator of a retail and wholesale greenhouse and nursery for 12 years on his farm. He loves plants and livestock, and watching an enterprise grow and prosper. “I am also a veteran of the Vietnam War, being in the United States Navy Seabees as an equipment operator,” shared Pederson. Pederson said he has a strong sense of commitment to the men and women who served in the defense of our country and he feels that by working there he is honoring their memory. “I bring the Seabee’s motto of ‘Can do with whatever I do.”’ Lead Cemetery Caretaker John Marzolf The Lead Cemetery Caretaker John Marzolf was born and raised in Preston, graduating from Fillmore Central High School. Following high school, he earned a degree in Natural Resource Technology at Vermilion Community College.
He currently lives in Chatfield with his wife Teresa and son Jack. As a teenager, he started his own lawn care and snow removal service while also working on his father’s hog farrowing operation and hobby farm -- which he is still involved with today. After graduating from college, Marzolf spent three years working in seasonal positions with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Olmsted County before landing a full-time job with a private forestry consulting business where he worked for several years. Prior to taking on his new role with the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Preston, he was a delivery drive for a beverage distributor. Marzolf looks forward to bringing over 20 years of experience working outdoors and operating equipment. “This land means a lot to me as I grew up hunting and hiking what is now the veterans cemetery,” he commented. “To see it transform from what it was 25 years ago to what it is today is simply amazing and will be a sacred place in Southern Minnesota for generations to come. I couldn’t think of a better place to work than giving those who served our country a final resting place, and give their families
We sincerely appreciate the sacrifice of our Veterans.
Cemetery Supervisor Rob Gross and Cemetery Representative Sasha Holst will be working closely with veterans and their families at the Administrative Building.
Photo by Jason Sethre
comfort in knowing that their loved ones will be well taken care of with the utmost respect and honor.” Equipment Specialist & Heavy Equipment Operator Mike Gudmundson
“I grew up on a farm near Peterson and still live in the area with my family,” said Gudmundson. He brings a wealth of experience, which includes serving as an equipment operator and a working foreman in
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With Gratitude to Next to Sunshine Foods
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our Veterans
the construction field. In addition, he served as a highway maintenance specialist in the Fillmore County Highway Maintenance DepartSee CEREMONY Page 12
many thanks to
all oF our trooPs home anD abroaD!
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Thank you for defending and fighting for our country and keeping us safe.
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FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL
Page 12
Monday, May 23, 2016
The FCJ reaches over 13,000 households each week.
Honoring
Those who gave their all.
we salute you.
CEREMONY
Continued from Page 11
ment. “As a member of our team, I bring 20 plus years of experience as a heavy equipment operator along with a strong sense of pride in working well with my co-workers to make this cemetery a place of honor for our veterans,” concluded Gudmundson. Cemetery Maintenance Worker John Kinneberg “I’m a born and raised Preston kid. I am married to Gabby Kinneberg and together we have a nine-month-old daughter,” offered Kinneberg. Following his graduation from Fillmore Central High School in 2006, Kinneberg earned an associates degree in Landscape & Golf Course Maintenance at Rochester Community and Technical College while also earning a certificate in Business Management in 2009. During college, he worked at Berwood Hill Inn on the grounds crew before starting his job with Mensink Landscaping -- which lasted four years. After taking a break from landscaping to be a farmer with his brother-in-law, he realized that the Minnesota State Veterans
ks erans
er11th.
men
Navy,
nking
thank you for your sacrifice...
...we honor you.
Cemetery job opportunity would be a great fit for him. “I bring a lot of landscaping knowledge, mechanical skills as well as an eye for detail to the crew. I don’t view this position as a job, but more of an honor. We are responsible for maintaining the veteran’s final resting place and to me that’s a pretty important job. We owe it to them to make sure it’s maintained to the best of our abilities,” concluded Kinneberg. Seasonal Groundskeeper Scott Leddy “I have a background in ecological restoration, and have worked exclusively on native prairie restoration and savanna restoration. I have also worked on restoration of wetlands and woodlands,” said Leddy. He is also an expert in native pollination. Leddy brings a wide variety of skills to the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Preston, including the reconstruction of prairie land. He also has extensive landscape maintenance experience, which he believes will serve this beautiful facility well. Cemetery Repair Worker John Dollar John Dollar has been a resident of Lanesboro, Minn. since 1971.
A Special Thanks A Special Thanks To America’s Veterans To America’s Veterans VeteransDayisNovember11th. Therearemorethan24millionveteransintheU.S. VeteransDayisNovember11th. Therearemorethan24millionveteransintheU.S. AsweobservethisVeteransDay,wesaythankyoutothemen
andwomenwhohaveservedintheU.S.AirForce,Army,Navy, 608 Houston st nW Preston, Mn 55965 AsweobservethisVeteransDay,wesaythankyoutothemen (507) 765-3846 MarinesandCoastGuard. andwomenwhohaveservedintheU.S.AirForce,Army,Navy,
Seasonal Groundskeeper Chuck Pederson, Lead Cemetery Caretaker John Marzolf, Equipment and Heavy Equipment Operator Mike Gudmundson, and Cemetery Maintenance Worker John Kinneberg will be working together to keep the cemetery in tip-top shape. After graduating from Lanesboro High School in 1984, he attended Vo Tech in La Crosse, Wis. for electronics. That education led him to work for G. Heileman Brewing in La Crosse prior to spending 12 years with IBM in Rochester. After major layoffs in the early 2000s
at IBM, he found himself back in school in Albert Lea, Minn., in the construction electrician program obtaining a Power Limited License. After graduation, he entered Local 343 Electrical Union where he was named Apprentice of the Year, and obtained his Journeyman Electrical
Photo by Jason Sethre License. After experiencing layoffs in the electrical industry, he decided to go back to school and get a 2A Boiler License. While attending the BUM program at RCTC in Rochester, he worked part-time at the FillSee CEREMONY Page 13
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MarinesandCoastGuard.A VETERAN! SALUTE Weappreciatetheirsacrificeandserviceforourcountry.
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Closed Tuesday, November 11, 2014
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We are an authorized dealer for Wilson, Keifer, Road King, Alum Line, Pacesetter, and H & H trailers. We offer parts and service along with DOT inspections.
Also have Boss and Snowdogg Snowplows
Share your thoughts at www.fillmorecountyjournal.com
Monday, May 23, 2016
Honoring
FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL
Page 13
thank you for your sacrifice...
...we honor you.
Those who gave their all.
we salute you.
Rushford honors veterans with Memorial Park
Seasonal Groundskeeper Scott Leddy and Cemetery Repair Worker John Dollar are members of the groundskeeping team at the cemetery.
Photo by Jason Sethre
CEREMONY
Continued from Page 12
more County Sheriff’s Office in Preston. He was later offered a job with Houston County as their head maintenance foreman in Caledonia, Minn. After spending 2-1/2 years
in that position, he learned about this position opening at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Preston. “I knew it was where I wanted to finish out my career until retirement,” shared Dollar. As the son of an Army Veteran who served for more than 20
Home of the free, because of the brave. Morem Electric
715 Main Ave. N, Harmony, MN 507.886.4541 Residential • Commercial • Farm • Industrial
years, Dollar feels that this is an honor to work for a place that cares about our veterans. “I hope my experiences and education will help make this cemetery something to be proud about. I know with the help of my co-workers we will make that happen.”
By Kirsten Zoellner As another Memorial Day is drawing near, our Fillmore County municipalities prepare plans for special services and remembrances to honor those serving in our nation’s military and more importantly, those that gave the ultimate sacrifice. In at least one city, the community is looking to secure a more permanent remembrance. In Rushford, plans are underway for a Veteran’s Memorial Park. There is currently a small veteran’s park behind city hall, which has served as the site of Memorial Day festivities for the city for several years. While not replacing that park, the new Veteran’s Memorial Park will serve as a more expansive memorial location and those involved in the development hope that it will create a lasting effect on the community. “I am sure all involved in this project would want all people to just stop and think about all the things they can still do
Those Who
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We remember
and say in this country today; to thank a veteran or service person for their service; to remember that their freedom today was not free but given to them by all service men and women that served and died for our freedom,” stresses Maynard LaFleur, who spearheaded the effort to bring the park from dream to reality. The concept idea for the park has been lingering with LaFleur for more than two decades, but it wasn’t until 2006 that he started really putting the idea into motion. “I started looking at veterans’ memorial sites and the urge to make this park got stronger,” says LaFleur. When he retired from work and the National Guard, he finally found the time he’d been missing to seek out more information and additional sites for inspiration. Initially, park development was just LaFleur and his wife,
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Page 14
FILLMORE COUNTY JOURNAL
Monday, May 23, 2016
The FCJ reaches over 13,000 households each week.
Honoring
thank you for your sacrifice...
...we honor you.
Those who gave their all.
we salute you.
RUSHFORD
Continued from Page 13
Rhonda, traveling to various parks and researching online. The project started rolling along following a conversation in 2014 with then-Rushford City Administrator Steve Sarvi. “I told him about the idea and he thought it would be a great thing for the city. I think I had a better ‘in’ being Steve was also a veteran,” jokes LaFleur. “I started asking about land and was told to look at a few places. That’s when I got even more excited and got more hope that this was going to happen.” Knowing he needed backing of local veterans groups, LaFleur contacted the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the American Legion post in Rushford. “They also thought it would be a good idea and both groups indicated they’d be behind me on this,” adds LaFleur. At the time, the Rushford American Legion Riders were also talking about the need for a park. A conversation with Legion Rider ‘Scuffy’ Paulson soon landed a Paulson as the co-chair for the project.
The group discussed several locations for the park, including in the Industrial Park, along the Root River Stare Trail, the Woxland building lot, Brooklyn Park, both north end city parks, and Creekside Park. In the end, Creekside Park was chosen as the site, partially because of potential grant availability, but largely due to prominent location in the city’s established park. “It was such a great place to put one, enthuses LaFleur. “People will see it from the bridge when coming in or going out of town.” LaFleur notes along with himself, Rhonda, and ‘Scuffy’, another key player in the heavy leg work of the project is Rushford City Clerk Kathy Zacher. “I think I put in what seems like a 40 hour week,” he says. “We’re checking prices, looking at benches and pavers, checking on flag poles and making the best deals on them.” Ongoing support from the VFW, the Legion, and the Legion Riders has been much appreciated. The park development group has also kept busy with city council meetings. “We had to
We don’t know them all but we owe them all!
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pleted by September 11 of this year. The pavers concept includes blocked areas, containing hundreds of pavers, as well as two additional blocked areas of several hundred pavers. Initially the group looked at smaller engravable bricks, but opted for the larger square pavers for more word space. “The Navy likes their ship put on their pavers and service people serve in more wars now,” LaFleur explains. The pavers can be purchased for $200 dollars each. The pavers are for all who served, or are serving, not only in Fillmore, but anywhere in the U.S. or on U.S. soil. The person must be honorably discharged to be included on the pavers. More than 100 pavers are already sold. “I am so hoping that our Rushford community will want to help in any way they can to feel proud that they helped in this great project for all their fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, grandparents, friends, and the young serving today for their country,” adds LaFleur. Additionally, people can help
go in front of the city council and request the land that we wanted to put the park on. We were asked how large it was going to be and I told them as large as we can go,” remembers LaFleur. February 8, the group got a big boost when the Rushford council unanimously approved funds to develop park plans with work architects from Bolton & Menk. Architects from the firm presented two conceptual drawings to the public at the April 7 meeting and detailed a three phases plan for the park. The next hurdle for the park is funding. Key elements from the park’s concept include a feature six or eight-foot monument, monuments to the branches of service, a servicemen’s plaque from WWI and WWII, and hundreds of engraved, 8-inch square pavers to honor those who have served or are currently serving in any branch of the U.S. military. The park design will also include three flagpoles and four granite benches to be placed on the park’s west side. Landscaping will round out the appeal of the park. The “Phase One” area is hoped to be com-
by donating to the park by sending a check to the city or legion. “We are talking on having gold, silver, bronze, and platinum donation, like buying or giving money toward a monument at a certain amount or check or cash of a certain amount,” notes LaFleur. “People who give can claim a charitable deduction.” Those interested in ordering pavers can pick up forms at the Rushford American Legion, Rushford Foods, Rushford State Bank, or find them online at the City of Rushford website. They can be mailed to: Rushford American Legion, Attn: Park Account, P.O. Box 246, Rushford, Minn. 55971. A groundbreaking event is slated for Saturday, May 21 at 11 a.m. All are encouraged to attend. “I hope the groundbreaking will be a big turn out!” enthuses LaFleur. “I know and feel in my heart that when this Veteran’s Memorial Park is done we all will be proud of it, even more so if they helped in making it great. I want to thank everyone that has given in money or helped with the park.”
A PROUD SALUTE TO OUR VETERANS Honoring our Brave SoldierS & veteranS
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It is a credit to all who have served to have the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery located in Southeast Minnesota. “It was my honor and privilege to be the chief author of House file 226 that authorized the Southeastern Minnesota Veterans Cemetery. I would like to thank the Fillmore County Commissioners, the Mayor and City Council of Preston, State and all area veterans organizations that Representative made this possible.” District 28B State Representative Gregory M. Davids
GREGORY M. DAVIDS WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF OUR VETERANS FOR THEIR SERVICE TO THIS COUNTRY. PAID FOR BY THE PEOPLE FOR DAVIDS COMMITTEE OF PRESTON, MN