VietNow
National Magazine
Less-Than-Famous
War Memorials
Stephenson County
Vietnam-Era
Veterans Memorial
Freeport, Illlinois
By Sam Veer,
Freeport VietNow Chapter
In October of
1985, VietNow Freeport Chapter had our
first organizational meeting. We elected
officers, and discussed how we wanted to
proceed. One thing we all agreed on, was
that we needed to honor those who had lost
their lives while in the service of their
country. After much talk and planning,
we came up with a concept of what we wanted,
a black granite stone with the battlefield
cross of helmet, rifle, and combat boots,
and proceeded in getting it built.
Eric Donaldson, a local artist and school
teacher, who admitted to having been against
the war, but supported those fighting it,
kindly offered to take on the task, free
of charge. On the day of dedication he
said, “What started out as a job,
finished as a labor of love.”
It took a year and a half of walking the
streets handing out fliers, and beating
on business doors – putting ads in
newspapers, on radio, and television – a
lot of fundraising and hard work, but finally
we got there.
On Memorial Day, 1987, we were honored
to dedicate a memorial to the 19 dead,
and one man still missing, from Stephenson
County. In the process of finding names
and facts of who should be on this memorial,
we decided to go with the boundaries of
VietNow membership, and include anyone
that died while in service in that time
period.
We also prepared a memorial booklet with
names, dates, and photos (when available)
of each person. Some of us spent hours
in libraries, talking to family members,
or looking up names and faces in yearbooks.
Some were easy to find, but hard to write
about.
Such as Richard Reed. He and I had entered
the service together, and became close
friends. We planned on going to jump school,
and NCO school together. My father passed
away, and I had to come home on leave.
Rich went on to do those things, I returned
to make up my training and go to Vietnam
in March of 1970. Rich finally got there
in October, and on Dec. 7, he was killed
when someone stepped on a mine. He left
behind a wife and two children.
Such as Donald Keep, a neighborhood friend.
He was a little older than I, so he was
of age to enter the service earlier. I
guess he was a little wild, and another
family friend who had served as a Marine
in the Korean War talked him into enlisting
to stay out of trouble.
On January 8, 1968, while serving with
the 9th Infantry Division, in the Mekong
Delta, he was wounded but refused evacuation,
so that the more severely wounded could
go first. He later died of his wounds.
It was hard on the person who had urged
him to join the military, but when we put
up the memorial in front of the courthouse,
he was the custodian there. He kept special
care of Don, and all those who gave the
ultimate sacrifice, cleaning, and pruning
the bushes around the memorial daily until
his own passing. He said it made him feel
better and closer to them.
Then there is Ronnie Schurch, none of
us really knew him, but it just so happened
that a member of another chapter, Doc Wealther,
was with Ronnie when he died, He graciously
came and spoke at the dedication, wanting
to let the family, most of all, know that
Ronnie was loved and had not been alone
when he died.
And last but not least, Jerry Pool, missing
in action in Cambodia since March 24, 1970.
His brother-in-law, Karl Schroeder, is
a member of our chapter. Jerry’s
wife, Darlene, and children were there
for the dedication, as were family members
of each of the fine young men.
We recently passed the 20th anniversary
of the memorial’s dedication, and
celebrated these men’s lives once
again. Michelle Baugh, from Sons and Daughters
In Touch, was our featured speaker that
day. Her father, Specialist Richard Githens
was killed in action May 29, 1968, while
serving with the 1st Cavalry Division in
Vietnam.
Sam Veer has been a member of the Freeport
Chapter, VietNow since 1985, and served
with A Co. 1/12, 1st Cav. Div., 1970-1971.
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