Coralville Lake ceremony honors veterans on Memorial Day

IOWA CITY - With his back causing him to curl like a question mark, a plaque in his left hand and his hat, held over his heart, in his right, David Brenneman stood for the 21-gun salute and then the sounding of taps.

The 89-year-old World War II veteran had been on an outdoor stage for an hour in 85-degree heat, but he showed his respect for his country and fellow veterans, especially those who are deceased. That, to him, is what Memorial Day is about.

“I always think more of it as a day of remembrance rather than as a holiday,” said Brenneman, of Kalona, who served in the U.S. Army.

He was one of eight Johnson County-area veterans who had their names added to Coralville Lake's Veterans Trail for courage and dedication while serving their country. The others, recognized at a ceremony attended by more than 300 people, were:

• Lawson B. Coapstick, who served in the Navy in the Vietnam War and the Army in Operation Enduring Freedom.

• Gary J. Droll, Army in Vietnam War.

• William J. Halvorsen, Army in World War II.

• Michael W. Hart, Army in Vietnam War.

• Thomas L. Meyers, Army in Vietnam War.

• Thomas R. Reinier, Army in Vietnam War.

• P. Larry Sorensen, Army in Vietnam War.

All are decorated veterans, but Monday's ceremony included Halvorsen and Hart receiving the Purple Hearts they should have been awarded decades ago but, for various reasons, never received.

Hart, 62, of Tiffin, who was wounded by a grenade, said he was so ready to leave Vietnam in 1970 that he didn't want to take the time to do the paperwork for the award.

Vietnam veterans often were not honored by the public when they returned home, something President Barack Obama noted at a campaign stop last week in Des Moines and again Monday. Hart didn't want to get into particulars, but he said “there was definitely no parade or anything like that.”

“It was the times of the nation we went through, and totally different than what the vets today are receiving, which is fine with me. It's what they should be doing,” he said.

The Veterans Trail ceremony is held annually just east of the Coralville Lake dam. With so many people at the lake to boat and swim, it's hard to ignore that Memorial Day is, for many people, treated as a vacation day at the unofficial start of summer.

Not so for the people at the Veterans Trail event. With the blazing sun only occasionally going behind clouds, they used programs as fans and wiped sweat from their brows.

“The fact that you're here to honor the folks up on this stage sitting to my right is a testament to you,” said Col. Shawn McGinley, commander of the Rock Island District of the Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees Coralville Lake.

The true purpose of Memorial Day is to remember those who died while serving in the U.S. military. It is more generally treated as a day to honor all veterans, of which there are currently about 22 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Several past Veterans Trail inductees were in attendance. Also, eight white roses were placed in holders on a large cross for the eight trail honorees who died in the past year.

Since the trail was dedicated in 1989, 157 local veterans have been honored.

Cedar Rapids event

Another large ceremony Monday took place at All Veterans Memorial Park in Cedar Rapids. At least 200 attended the outdoor event.

Veteran Ken Breher said Memorial Day and Veterans Day in November always have a bit of a different feel to him.

“It (Memorial Day) is a more solemn occasion - although I do come out every Veterans Day and walk the monuments and say a few prayers,” he said.

The Gazette's Dave Franzman contributed to this report.

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