Service Commission honors Vietnam vets

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Van Wert County Veterans Service Commission held the first of a series of planned veteran recognition dinners Wednesday evening at American Legion Post 178 in Van Wert, with the first event honoring local Vietnam veterans.

The dinner, held in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, as well as Vietnam Veterans Month, honored veterans of the various service branches who served during the war, which officially ran from November 1, 1955, until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. The war resulted in the death of 58,220 Americans, while 1,626 are still listed as missing in action.

County Veterans Service Commission President Bill Marshall, himself a Vietnam veteran, said the dinner is the first in a series of several dinners to honor Vietnam veterans, while other dinners are planned in the future to recognize other local veterans.

“We have 2,200 or so veterans in this county, so we’re not going to stop with just the Vietnam veterans; we’re starting with them first, then we’ll go along the line and honor the remaining veterans from the various wars, before and after,” Marshall noted.

While many honors have been heaped on World War II veterans, who have been called “The Greatest Generation,” veterans of other wars have not fared as well, with Vietnam veterans especially ill-treated by fellow Americans during that controversial conflict.

Marshall said Vietnam veterans still served honorably.

“We came back holding our heads high, even facing the scorn of some of our countrymen, but we knew we had done the best of our ability,” Marshall said, adding: “Time has healed most of those wounds and respect has now been given to the men and women who served. It truly is a welcome home to the ‘Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave’.”

Veterans attending the dinner were also given a number of mementos provided by the County Veterans Service Commission, including lapel pins, a button commemorating the 50th anniversary of the war, and a patch that can be worn on a jacket or shirt.

Vietnam veterans attending included the following, by branch of service:

• U.S. Army — Max Case Jr., Donald Dempsey, Thomas Dunno, Mike Dunno, James Francis, John Good, Keith Harman, James Henry, Larry Herrick, Gary Hertel, Mike Hughes, Larry Kiracofe, Robert Klausing, Denny Krugh, Jim Lindeman, Lloyd Marvin, Steve Mendenhall, Kenneth Minnich, Jerry Miracle, David Mosier, Gary Profit, David Routt, Lawrence Schoonover, Kenneth Siders, James Sheets, John Stemen, Larry Stutz, Teddy Tumbleson, and Lanny Ward.
• U.S. Navy — John Grothouse, Robert Hogan, Gary Kesler, and David Shook.
• U.S. Marines — Michael Gaskill, Harold Hodgson, and Randall Shell.
• U.S. Air Force — Danny Dunlap, Bill Marshall, Jerry Reigle, and Richard Shobe.

During the dinner, the names were also read of those county residents who died in Vietnam. They include Stephan E. Bebout, U.S. Army, who died August 18, 1969; William E. Carter, U.S. Army, who died September 16, 1969; Courtney J. Cosgrove, U.S. Army, who died June 29, 1969; Larry E. Evans, U.S. Army, who died March 8, 1969; David G. Fell, U.S. Navy, who died November 1, 1970; Carey A. Fosnaugh, U.S. Army, who died January 23, 1970; William J. Miller, U.S. Army, who died August 21, 1967; Paul G. Parsons, U.S. Army, who died March 4, 1966; Jackie R. Poling, U.S. Army, who died July 22, 1968; Paul E. Ream, U.S. Army, who died March 22, 1967; and Stephen Jay W. Smith, U.S. Army, who died June 21, 1970.