Vietnam Memorial Dedication

Nine soldiers with Johnson County connections will be honored at 2 p.m. Saturday (May 30), the actual Memorial Day, with the dedication of the Johnson County Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the grounds of the Johnson County Courthouse. The ceremony includes a performance by the New Horizons Air Force Band from Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Neb. The public is welcome.

The memorial was spearheaded by Brad McGowan (left) who is also a Civil War history buff and has restored many Civil War headstones. Although Brad, who now lives in Kalona, is not a Vietnam vet, he feels a special kinship to many of them who hail from his generation. He felt it was time to honor them with this memorial that was erected last fall.

"There are times," Brad says, "that I will drive by the memorial and see that someone has left a wreath at the base to mark an important date."

Saturday will most certainly be an important date for the families of these soldiers who gave their lives in the war. They are:

• Carroll Fankhauser, Marines, died 8-24-65 at age  22
• Terrell Randall, Marines, died 3-4-68 at age 19
• Rox Shain, Air Force, died 7-28-68 at age 36
• William Adams, Army, died 5-18-69 at age 21
• Thomas Dostal, Army, died 8-25-69 at age 24
• Francis Gaulocher, Army, died 3-24-68 at age 22
• Virgil Bixby, Army, died 7-22-70 at age 20
• Kenneth Hammel, Army, died 7-24-70 at age 27
• Darrel Hamlin, Air Force, died 5-13-75 at age 19

A lot of the men and women who served in Vietnam felt they were ignored upon their return. These were nine who did not even come back.