Donations still sought for Purple Heart monument

A group of local military veterans seeking to build a new monument in Holton’s Linscott Park to honor Jackson County’s Purple Heart recipients is almost halfway now to its fund-raising goal for construction of the monument, according to Mike McManigal, director of American Legion Riders Post 44 in Holton.

“So far, we have raised $11,074 of our $25,000 goal,” McManigal said Tuesday. “We have not had any donations for several days.”

McManigal noted that area residents have been “fantastic in calling and providing information” about Purple Heart recipients, and that support remains essential in making the county’s list of recipients as complete as possible. But in order to meet the goal of putting up the monument in time for this year’s Memorial Day ceremonies, donations must be received by April 1.

The Legion Riders, in conjunction with Holton American Legion Post 44, the Sons of the American Legion and Holton VFW Post 1367, announced the fund-raising drive in early November, prior to the annual Veterans Day Parade.

The group’s plan is to build a monument that lists and honors Jackson County veterans who have received the Purple Heart Medal, which is given to military personnel who are wounded or killed in the line of active military duty. 

Both Holton and Jackson County received Purple Heart Community designations in 2014. It was reported that many who come into Holton after seeing the Purple Heart Community sign want to know where they can go to learn more, but no such memorial exists here at the present time.

The local veterans’ organizations got together to see what they could do and came up with a plan to build a Purple Heart monument in Linscott Park facing north toward Fourth Street, near the World War II monument in that area, McManigal said.

The plan for the monument includes a replica of the Purple Heart medal on the front, along with the names of Purple Heart recipients from Holton and Jackson County on the back. McManigal said the monument will be ADA accessible, and its planned dimensions are six feet high by seven feet long by two feet wide.

So far, the list of Purple Heart recipients from Jackson County includes the following names offered or confirmed to be listed on the Purple Heart monument. Their names are listed below by conflict:

• Afghanistan killed in action (KIA):

Pfc. Cody G. Baker.

Sfc. Bernard L. Deghand.

Cpt. Jason T. McMahon. 

• Iraq wounded in action:

Lt. Col. Erich Campbell.

Lance Cpl. Justin Martinez.

• Somalia wounded in action:

Maj. Thomas E. Bryant.

• Vietnam KIA:

Pfc. Dennis A. Denton.

Lance Cpl. Victor Hale.

1st Lt. Kerry E. Hess.

Pfc. Martin Jim Jr.

1st Lt. Dale Melbrant.

Sgt. Floyd C. Nevins.

Spc. Danny J. Peterson.

Cpl. James C. Strube.

• Vietnam wounded in action:

Darell Edwards.

SSgt. Mirl W. Hollabaugh.

Spc. Merle Houlabugh.

1st Lt. William Hoppes.

Sgt. Norman Jepson.

Joseph Jessepe.

SSgt. Walt Niemeyer.

Sgt. Gary Nott.

Sgt. Arnold Robertson.

Csm. Brad Stauffer.

Philipp Tatum.

• Korea KIA:

Pfc. Lee R. Barnes.

Pfc. Harland D. Jenkins.

Major Robert T. Latta.

Pfc. Robert J. Lewelling.

2nd Lt. Burt A. Robson.

Pvt. Donald E. Wilson.

• Korea wounded in action:

George Lundin.

Sgt. Joe R. McClintock.

Marvin Mzhickteno.

• World War II KIA:

SSgt. Earl E. Bengtson.

1st Lt. Godfrey H. Bernhardt.

Pfc. Leonard Boyd.

Pvt. Neal A. Bunton.

Pfc. Wayne B. Cole.

TEC 5 Merle G. Couch.

Pfc. John V. Cunningham.

Sgt. Buford N. Edwards.

Sgt. Frederick H. Eulert.

TEC 5 Harmon J. Fernkopf.

2nd Lt. Charles R. Fletcher.

TSgt. James O. Gatewood.

SSgt. Phillip H. Gatewood.

Sgt. Theodore I. Glotzbach.

1st Lt. Hollis D. Harold.

1st Lt. Charles E. Harris.

Pvt. William Lasley.

Warren Moore.

2nd Lt. John A. Newton.

SFC Francis W. Ohlsen.

SSgt. Claud W. Osborne.

1st Lt. Ivan Salts.

Cpl. Lehland Staufford.

Lyman Tapsee.

LaVern Thomas.

TEC 4 Lowell E. Venneberg.

Chaplain Eunace A. Wallace.

SSgt. Paul G. Wamego.

• World War II wounded in action:

Tech Sgt. Leroy E. Blocker.

Sgt. Raymond Gardiner.

Joseph Hale.

RT1 Harold Hewitt.

SOM3 Russell L. Ireland.

Pfc. Milton LaClair.

Cpl. Ted A. McClintock Jr.

Pvt. Raymond McKee.

Pfc. Paul Moudoek.

Pfc. F. William “Bill” Ohlsen.

Pfc. Alvin Pelton.

Nelson Potts.

Cpl. Claude Rieschick.

Cpl. Marlin W. Wilson.

• World War I KIA:

Pvt. Frank Cadue.

Pvt. William Lasley.

Francis Shoptese.

• World War I wounded in action:

MECH Elmer “Joe” Hartman.

• Other KIA:

Vernon Mzhickteno.

• Other wounded in action:

SPC 4 Larry Mitchell.

Leroy Mzhickteno.

Everett Noble.

Tom Ramirez.

Elwin Shopteese.

Jack Shopteese.

Individuals, businesses and organizations who make contributions toward the construction of the monument will have the opportunity to be recognized through the purchase of donor bricks, it was reported. Those involved with construction of the memorial are offering a four-inch-by-eight-inch brick with two lines of personalized text for a donation of $100 or more, or an eight-inch square brick with four lines of text for a donation of $500 or more.

Donations are tax-deductible and may be sent to the American Legion, P.O. Box 184, Holton, KS 66436. For more information or an order form, contact McManigal at 364-3131.

The Holton Recorder also appreciates the continued submission of Purple Heart recipients’ stories for publication. For information on contributing a veteran’s story, call 364-3141 or e-mail holtonrecorder@embarqmail.com

The Holton Recorder

109 W. Fourth St.
Holton, KS 66436
Phone: 785-364-3141
 

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