Veterans’ Stories

Alan Richard Wideman US Army Alan Richard Wideman was born June 3, 1945, in Waverly, Iowa to Richard and Mary Wideman. He was born while his Dad was serving in World War II. He died February 9, 2022, at Worth County Convalescent...

Donald Lee Hettich US Army Location: Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam Memory from a Colleague:  I have a lot of memories of my tour in Vietnam, but the one that hit me the hardest was on November 19, 1967. I was a crew chief on a UH-1C...

Michael Joseph Utter US Army Location: Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam Memory from a Colleague:  I have a lot of memories of my tour in Vietnam, but the one that hit me the hardest was on November 19, 1967. I was a crew chief on a UH-1C...

Curtis Woodrow Hutto US Army Location: Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam Memory from a Colleague:  I have a lot of memories of my tour in Vietnam, but the one that hit me the hardest was on November 19, 1967. I was a crew chief on a UH-1C...

Jeffrey Allen Hawk US Army Location: Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam Memory from a Colleague:  I have a lot of memories of my tour in Vietnam, but the one that hit me the hardest was on November 19, 1967. I was a crew chief on a UH-1C...

Thomas Pate Huddleston US Army Location: Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam Memory from a Colleague:  I have a lot of memories of my tour in Vietnam, but the one that hit me the hardest was on November 19, 1967. I was a crew chief on a UH-1C...

William Henry Murphy III US Navy Location: Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam Memory from a Colleague:  I have a lot of memories of my tour in Vietnam, but the one that hit me the hardest was on November 19, 1967. I was a crew chief on a...

Earl George Challans US Army SERVED: 2 Years Location: Vietnam Memory from a Loved One:  Earl Challans, my husband of 50+ years, was born 1945 in Decatur, IL. He volunteered for the draft in 1966, and he asked to be sent to Vietnam. He...

John David Ponder US Marine Corps SERVED: 7 June, 1967 - 5 May, 1968 Location: Phu Dong, South Vietnam, Quang Nam Province Memory from a Loved One:  David was Born, John David Ponder, in Perryville, Missouri to Charles Ponder and Trula...

Eugene L. Brown US Army SERVED: Discharged 1945 Location: Europe      

Clifford W. Brown US Navy SERVED: Discharged 1945      

Lewis E. Day US Army SERVED: 4 years 22 days and 2 years 10 months (2nd Enlistment) Location: Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno, Tunisian Campaigns and Yokohama, Japan (2nd Enlistment) Memory from a Loved One:  He...

Gary J. Ernst US Army SERVED: 11/1966 - 6/1967 Location: Vietnam   Memory from a Loved One:  Gary was the third of seven children born to Wilfred and Anita Ernst. One of the favorite memories was of Christmastime. Gary would be...

Harry David Rush US Army SERVED: 7/10/1967 - 7/3/1969 Location: Vietnam   Memory from a Loved One:  So proud of your service in Vietnam! Keep on playing that jazz on your shiny trombone. Your brothers will love it!  

Hubert A Schamberg US Army SERVED: 3-25-1941 to 10-11-1945 Location: Mostly Alaska    

Thomas L. Coldren US Army SERVED: 10 years Location: Vietnam   Memory from a Loved One:  In 1962, I was the S-1 clerk of the 27th Transportation Battalion at Fort Eustis, Virginia. Tom Coldren was a PFC and my assistant at the...

Harlo Rubach US Army SERVED: November 6, 1956 - November 5, 1968 Location: Korea   Memory from a Loved One:  Harlo was drafted and attended basic training in 1956 in Colorado and attended advanced basic training in Ft. Lee,...

Carroll (Jake) Noland US Army SERVED: 1970 - 1972 Location: Vietnam   Memory from a Loved One:  Jake was part of the Hornets 116th AHC - Yellow Jackets. He was a chief door-gunner in a Huey. After serving in Vietnam, he came back...

Arnold T. Ernst US Army SERVED: July 20 1918 - September 26 1918 Location: France   Memory from a Loved One:  Arnold trained at Camp Pike National Army in Little Rock, Arkansas before being sent to France. His records say he died...

Leonard A. Nitzsche US Army SERVED: 8 months Location: Vietnam   Memory from a Loved One:  PFC Leonard Nitzsche of RR, Ellis Grove, IL was drafted into the Army in August 1969. Leonard attended basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood,...

Charles W. Rader US Marine Corps SERVED: 2 years 8 months Location: Vietnam   Memory from a Loved One:  Lance Corporal Charles W. Rader from Chester, IL was born on March 17, 1945. He enlisted in the Marines on July 21, 1963....

John L Mattingly US Army SERVED: March 1941 - October 1945 Location: Europe   Memory from a Loved One:  My father was a technician 5th grade for 22nd General Hospital and Ambulance Driver #699.  

Cullen J Mattingly US Army SERVED: 1943 - 1945 Location: South Pacific in New Guinea   Memory from a Loved One:  Cullen was an 18 year old farm boy who had not been any further from home than St. Louis before he was drafted. He...

Ronald H. Bozikis US Army SERVED: 1967 - 1969 Location: Vietnam   Memory from a Loved One:  My brother had a football scholarship to Kansas State and the likelihood of playing for Missouri after he was discharged. However, in the...

Elvin Mattingly US Army SERVED: February 1945 - November 1946 Location: Japan   Memory from a Loved One:  Part of occupying force in Japan. He earned two overseas bars and a lapel button.  

Forest Myrick US ARMY & US NAVY SERVED: World War II & Korea   Memory from a Loved One:  My Dad was a Seabee in the Navy at age 17 when they landed at Okinawa. He served in the Army in Korea. He never shared about the bad...

Joseph Bourgouin US ARMY SERGEANT SERVED: 1954-1957   Memory from a Loved One:  My Dad loved his family and country. He served his country for 20 years. He did not talk about his time in Vietnam or Korea. When he did, we could...

Bertrand V Mattingly US Army Served in Korea  

William F. Cissell US Army SERVED: 1942 - 1945 Memory from a Loved One: He was a great Dad. He was severely wounded in Belgium and spent over a year in hospitals overseas and in the US. He had pain and PTSD most of his life. He did not...

Ollie L Anderson US Army SERVED: 1941 1945 Memory from a Loved One: This is my PawPaw. The best man I've ever known. He was a MP in the Army. He was originally stationed in Pearl Harbor where he met my grandmother. He...