Program planned at Iola’s Veterans Memorial Park
American Legion Sheveland-Taylor Post 14 will dedicate the new Walk of Honor at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 15, at the Veterans Memorial Park, 200 N. Main St., Iola.
The Walk of Honor features three, 8-foot-tall black granite monuments.
The monuments honors 75 veterans from Iola and Scandinavia who were awarded one or more battlefield medals from World War I through present day.
There are 12 medals that qualify a military person to be honored on this monument: the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, Air Force Cross, Defense Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Soldier’s Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Medal, Airmen’s Medal, Bronze Star; Purple Heart and Prisoner of War Medal.
Veterans from Iola and Scandinavia being honored
Silver Star
WWI – Clyde LaBar, Classy A. Johnson, WWII – Elroy J Olson, Laverne D. Erickson, Vietnam – Gaylord Lewison, Donald C. Dineen, Henry Thomas.
Distinguished Flying Cross
WWII – Lee A. Nelson, John E. Hotvedt, Julian H. Wesley, Carroll E Sorenson, Vietnam – Donald C. Dineen, Robert A. Newby;.
Soldier’s Medal
Korea – Russell I Kolden.
Bronze Star
WWII – Glen L Sheveland, Julian H. Rowe, Martin L Swenson, Cecil E. Elkins, Odin S. Rustad, Leonard M. Colden, Donald A. Gregerson, Phillip H Swenson, Maynard O. Stromberg, Joseph J Liebe, Richard P. Gunderson, William F. Opperman, Harland M Bestul, Andrew T. Dahlen, Clarence E Gjertson, Robert Egner, DeLyle O. Omholt, Laverne D. Erickson, Neil Kachur; Korea – Howard K. Inderdahl, Robert Ellingson; Vietnam – Gaylord Lewison, Kermit A. Taylor, Robert N. Rasmussen Jr, Frank X. Akey, David O. Mortenson, William K. Mortensen, Paul R. Nelson, David A. Aronson, Larry D Rasmussen, Gary L Radloff, James L. Jenson; Southwest Asia – Charles Dobbertin.
Purple Heart
WWI – Clyde LaBar, Barnard M. Sheveland, Classy A. Johnson, Clarence Strand, Martin Thorson, Casper A. Gilson; WWII – Donald E. Taylor, Odin S. Rustad, Vernon M Floistad, John O Swenson, Elroy J. Olson, Guy Wogsland, Norman L Kjendalen, Gordon Mork, Alvin F Helgeson, Homer H. Clappes, Clifford W. Torgerson, Charles Gottschalk, Kenneth E. Mork, Axel Peterson, Lloyd Tschurwald, Reinhard A. Tschurwald, Laverne D. Erickson, Lavern C Trinrud, Lavern Kjendalen; Korea – Glenn D Georgson, Alder Erickson, Robert H Janke, Tenny Fogelberg, Gordon Peterson, Alder Erickson; Vietnam – Earl B. Lukaszewski, Paul D. Finch, David A. Aronson, Carl Dennis Ruenger, Southwest Asia: Kyle W Brown.
Prisoner of War Medal
WWII – Tenny Fogelberg, Vernon Forseth and Roger L Mork.
One Achord will perform the National Anthem. in addition to other musical selections during the dedication.