An Unknown Soldier A Veteran's Story
May 21, 2020
My service goes back, way back to the Battle of Bunker Hill. I was in the (Continental)Army (formed June 14, 1775) with a rank of field officer and my rank could be seen on my hat with a pink or red cockade. I was a captain. Serving under General George Washington. I fought with my flintlock musket, a pistol and my bayonets. It was a tremendous battle, where over 400 of my fellow soldiers died for America. The British wounded and or dead topped 1,000. This battle was called the bloodiest of the Revolutionary War. I was proud to serve and I can be found in an unmarked grave near Charlestown.
Joining the (Continental)Navy shortly after it was formed (October 13, 1775) I found myself serving under Commander-in-chief Esek Hopkins aboard a 24 gun frigate named the Alfred. We captured 12 British Royal Navy and Merchant ships. We fought a hard battle at sea and fell to the British in 1778. I passed at sea.
From the (Continental)Navy, the (Continental) Marines were formed on November 10, 1775. We were established to do the ship to ship fighting, assist in landing forces, security and discipline enforcement. We were young, but freedom was at risk. I served during the Revolutionary War, and we were disbanded after the war. Many of us didn’t make it home, and our graves are the briny deep.
We were soldiers. We were on land and sea during the Civil War. Congress re-created us into the United States Navy and Marines in the 1800 time period to be prepared for the Quasi-War with France.
Serving in the 1960s was a challenge. I entered the U. S. Air Force, went to my basic training in Texas, which was a long way from home. After a brief tech school in Wyoming’s F. E. Warren Air Force Base, which was originally Fort D. A. Russell. The Fort went through changes as so did I. I found myself serving at Cam Ranh Bay South Vietnam. We would repair the planes that would come in all shot up and send them back. Or I might have been on Medi Vac. I didn’t return home, and someday, I will come home.
We have fought many battles, we have fought in many foreign lands. I have landed on shores in the Pacific, fought on grounds in Europe and have fought wars in the far east. I have served aboard ships, submarines, planes, jets and helicopters. Many of us came home to our loved ones and ones who didn’t love us too much. I have watched from this tomb the outcry against us, for us and thanking us. Whether I served in the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marines, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard or any and all of the National Guards, isn’t important. What’s important is that we served!
Thank you all who have served and are resting at the Pine Bluffs Cemetery. And thank you to those who have served and haven’t come home yet….our unknown soldiers.
Adix, Thomas U.S. Army Korea
Butler, David Air National Guard Unknown
Binning Charles W. U.S. Army WWII
Carlson, Albert U.S. Army WWI
Carlson, Theodore M. U.S. Army WWII
Carpenter, William A U.S. Navy WWII
Cockett, Charles U.S.Army Air Corp WWII
Colbert, Ben U.S. Navy WWII
Constable, Claude H. U.S. Army Korea
Crossman, Robert N. U.S. Navy WWII
Christensen, Lloyd U.S. Army Korea
Edward William H. U.S. Army Spanish American War
Edwards, Eldred E. U.S. Army WWII
Edwards, Shirley U.S. Army WWII
Eggli, Donald U.S. Army Korea
Eisenhauer, Donald W. U.S. Marine Corp. WWII
Ekstrom, Joseph H. Unknown Branch WWI
Eisenhauer, Robert U.S. Marine Corp. WWII
Fisher, John Continental Army Civil War
Fisher, Warren A. U.S. Army WWI
Fyfe, Charles U.S. Army WWI
Floy, Earl Anton U.S. Army WWII
Fornstrim, Kenneth U.S. Army Air Corp WWII
Fornstrom, Ivan U.S. Merchant Marine WWII
Fry, Warren Pennington U.S. Navy WWII
Fahlstrom, Frank E. U.S. Army WWI
Fisher, Dean U.S. Air Force WWII
Fornstrom, Robert U.S. Army Vietnam
Golden, James N. U.S. Army WWI
Gross, C.C. U.S. Army WWI
Graves, Paul U.S. Army WWII
Gillespie, Lee S. U.S. Navy Vietnam
Garson, Theodor U.S. Army Air Corp WWII
Good, Raymond Stoker U.S. Navy WWII
Gross, C.C. Jr. U.S. Navy WWII
Gronewold, Fredrick U.S. Army WWII
Gensel, Floyd D. U.S. Army Korea
Gordon, Mike U.S. Army Korea
Gade, Laverne U.S. Army WWII
Geiber, Clarence (Bub) U.S. Army Unknown
Haukap, Clifford G. U.S. Navy WWII
Harms, Leonard U.S. Army Vietnam
Harrison, William H. U.S. Army WWI
Herman, Robert J. U.S. Army WWI
Hill, Robert M. U.S. Army WWII
Hockersmith, Gael Unknown Branch WWII
Hopka, Edwin L. U.S. Army WWII
Hopka, Malford U.S. Marine Corp. Korea
Huber, Jerry W. U.S. Air Force Vietnam
Holladay, John B. Unknown Branch WWI
Higday, Archie L. U.S. Navy WWI
Haas, Mural U.S. Navy Korea
Isley, Gottfried Fred U.S. Army WWI
Janicek, Donald U.S. Navy WWII
Jessen, John U.S. Army WWII
Johnson, Carl U.S. Army WWII
Johnson, C. Winston U.S. Army WWII
Johnson, Archie V. U.S. Army WWII
Johnson, Peter Arden U.S. Navy WWII
Judy, Elzie U.S. Army Air Corp WWII
Judy, Rolly U.S. Army WWII
Kruger, Raymond C. U.S. Navy WWII
Karlstom, Frank R. U.S. Army WWI
Kieley, Marvin U.S. Navy WWII
Kruger, Edwin U.S. Army WWII
Kieler, Marvin U.S. Navy WWII
Lanning, Ron U.S. Army WWII
Lemaster, Eugene Unknown WWII
Leemaster, Dale U.S. Army WWII
Lewis, James Unknown Branch WWII
Lewis, Leland U.S. Army WWII
Lewis, Robert U.S. Navy Vietnam
Long, Abner U.S. Army WWII
Leininger, Kenneth P. U.S. Army Korea
Long, George U.S. Army Korea
Miller, Peter J. Continental Army Civil War
Maxfield, Bert H. U.S. Army WWI
May, Edwards A. U.S. Army WWI
McDowall, Richard L. U.S. Navy WWII
Minnich, Floyd E. U.S. Army WWI
Morgan, Thomas U.S. Air Force Korea
Moyer, Andrew C. U.S. Army WWI
Murray, James A. U.S. Army WWI
Minnich, Jerome Unknown Branch Unknown
Macy, Merle Unknown Branch WWI
Marlatt, Fay F. U.S. Army WWII
McLaughlin, Robert M. U.S. Navy WWII
May, Merle U.S. Marine Corp WWII
Malm, Rudeen U.S. Navy WWII
Mercer, Thomas D. U.S. Marine Corp Korea
Mikesell, Eugene U.S. Air Force WWII
Macy, Wayne U.S. Army WWII
McCarver, Ralph E U.S. Army Vietnam
McCarver, Fern U.S. Army Unknown
Morris, Floyd U.S. Air Force Korea/Vietnam
Mikesell, Steven U.S. Air Force Vietnam
Nickel, Wesley T. U.S. Navy Spanish American War
Ornelas Joe Martin U.S. Army Korea
Olsen, Andy Lars U.S. Army WWI
Ornelas, Harry U.S. Air Force WWII
Ornelas, Rev. Angel Jr. U.S. Air Force Korea
O’Neil, Bruce U.S. Army Vietnam
Powers, James U.S. Army WWI
Pettegrew, William M. Unknown Branch Unknown
Parshall, Paul J. U.S. Army WWII
Phillips, Robert Donald U.S. Navy Vietnam
Petterson, Clifford D U.S. Army WWII
Poelma, James E. U.S. Army WWII
Poelma, Larry U.S Air Force Vietnam
Powell, Clyde M. Jr. U.S. Army WWII
Powers, Irven B. U.S. Army WWII
Pierce, Lanrend U.S. Air Force Korea
Richardson, G.H. Continental Army Civil War
Rairigh, William I. U.S. Army WWI
Reher, Leonard U.S. Marine Corp WWII
Rand, Wayne T. U.S. Army WWII
Reed, Warren Unknown Branch WWII
Reher, Leland U.S. Army Air Corp WWII
Reher, Virgil Vern U.S. Army Air Corp WWII
Reher, Leroy U.S. Army WWII
Robinson Jay Jr. U.S. Army WWII
Rohweder, Delbert U.S. Army WWII
Rohde, Lloyd U.S. Army WWII
Reed, Ralph E. U.S. Navy WWI
Ruemping, Robert U.S. Army WWII
Reed, Ralph U.S. Navy WWii
Reher, Harold E. U.S. Army Korea
Sayers, Warren A. U.S. Army WWI
Scheel, Bernhardt U.S. Army WWI
Schmidl, Jerry U.S. Army Vietnam
Shipp, Ralph Unknown Branch Unknown
Slingerland, Emerson U.S. Army WWI
Smith, Glenn W. U.S. Army WWI
Smith, Lon O. U.S. Army WWI
Smith, J.R. U.S. Army WWII
Speetzen, Henry J. U.S. Army Unknown
Seth, Carl E. U.S. Army Korea
Sayers, James U.S. Army Korea
Stokes, Raymond U.S. Navy Unknown
Sheller, Thomas Unknown WWI
Safranak, Stanley U.S. Army WWII
Schacher, Marvin U.S. Army Air Corp WWII
Schacher, William U.S. Navy WWII
Scheel, Dale E. U.S. Army Vietnam
Scheel, Lee L Unknown Branch Unknown
Stevens, Robert E. U.S. Navy WWII
Shandera, Richard U.S. Army WWII
Shared, Walter Unknown Branch Unknown
Shepherd,Earl U.S. Army WWII
Shepherd, Joseph P. U.S. Army WWII
Sisson, Charles Calvin U.S. Navy WWII
Smith, John U.S. Navy WWII
Smith, Robert W. Unknown Branch WWII
Souders, James U.S. Navy WWII
Souders, John U.S. Army WWII
Spier, Francis U.S. Navy WWII
Spier, Linus E. U.S. Army WWII
Steger, Elgun Dow U.S. Navy WWII
Strobe, Charles Unknown Branch WWII
Stephens, Richard U.S. Air Force Vietnam
Stimuli, David Lee U.S. Army Vietnam
Steger,Dan U.S. Air Force Vietnam
Seth, Carl Enoch U.S. Army Vietnam
Snyder, John U.S. Army WWI
Smith, Paul(Smitty) U.S. Army Vietnam
Schneider, Ferdinand U.S. Army Korea
Takbert, Claude F. U.S. Army WWII
Tipsword, Don U.S. Marine Corps WWII
Thompson, Russell G. U.S. Marine Corps Korea
Thompson, James K. U.S. Army Air Corp WWII
Tietmayer, Clarence U.S. Army Air Corp WWII
Vaughn, Unknown Branch Unknown
Walling, Archie L. U.S. Army Unknown
Ward, Edward T U.S. Army Unknown
Ward, Robert U.S. Army Korea
Ward Vrey S. U.S. Marine Corp WWI
Waterman, Melvin U.S. Navy Vietnam
Wilhelm,Marilynnn U.S. Navy WWII
Wisroth, Norman U.S. Army WWII
Wolfert, Edwards U.S. Army WWII
Wood, Robert Dale U.S. Army WWII
Wisroth, Fred Unknown Branch WWI
Wisroth, Carol U.S. Navy Vietnam
Wulf, George U.S. Army WWI
Wymer, Homer L. U.S. Army WWII
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