MVVM Dedication Weekend

Our heart-worn work was complete. The weekend was here. After all the preparation, anticipation, commitments, and prayers, the weekend attendance would be difficult to estimate. Sixty-eight thousand veterans served in the Vietnam War touching all areas and corners of the state. We built it, will they come?

Of those 1,127 killed, and 43 remain missing, the Vietnam War was called a ‘young-man’s war’ because the average age of all casualties was 19-years-of-age. 690 were 18-21 years-of-age, and sixty-one soldiers were 18 years young when killed.

Capitol Security estimated 2,000 for the Saturday Dedication Ceremony, but over 10,000 arrived. An estimated 35,000 attended over the weekend.

MVVM Brings Minnesotans Home

The time was long overdue to begin the healing process, to offer comfort, and to bring Minnesotans home…in heart and spirit. With hundreds of volunteers over a five-year period and thousands of generous Minnesotans, we had the financial support to build a memorial. The Minnesota Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on the State Capital grounds on September 25-27, 1992 with hundreds of loved ones, friends, supporters, and survivors in attendance.

The three-day celebration….

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Friday, September 25

Native American Blessing

The Native American Ground Blessing Ceremony began on Friday evening. The solemn and sacred service included an honor march, a speaker, and a drumming circle with chanting.

Sons and Daughters

Sons and Daughters In Touch is a non-profit, volunteer organization committed to locating, uniting, and supporting the Gold Star “Sons and Daughters” of the American servicemen who perished in the Vietnam War. Established in 1989, Sons and Daughters In Touch represents an estimated 20,000 “children” of the American servicemen lost in the Vietnam War. 

Unveiling the Wall

Dedication Weekend Began with the MVVM Unveiling Ceremony at 3 pm

The 173rd Airborne provided Honor Guard escorts to eight Gold Star Mothers and one widow. The Guard held the U.S. flag that once draped the loved one’s casket before the nine panels containing the engraved names. Teresa Vetter, President of the MVVM, and Dick Bergling, Vietnam Veteran and President of the Vietnam Veterans of America, gave tributes to the honor and establishment of this sacred place. Each mother had the opportunity to talk about their son.

Four of the Gold Star Mothers present at the Unveiling Ceremony were:
-Grace Bursaw / Clarence Bursaw Jr. / Marine / Minneapolis
-Mary McCue / Gary McCue / Marine /Bloomington
-Eunice Stricklin / Thomas Stricklin / Army / Minneapolis
-Kathleen Weber Ross / John Knute Weber / Army / St Paul

Gold Star Mother is a designation reserved for mothers who lost sons in Vietnam and other U.S. wars. A Gold Star hung in the windows of families in honor of their deceased veteran. After World War I, American Gold Star Mothers became a national organization. The idea of the ‘Gold Star’ was to honor the veteran’s supreme sacrifice to his country. It was the last full measure of devotion and pride of the family rather than mourning symbols.

Memorial Unveiling Speech by V.V.A. President, Dick Bergling

Saturday September 26

Flag Raising Dedication For SP/4 Larry Koski

SP/4 Larry C Koski
Hometown: Menahga
Army
554th Engineering Battalion
Hau Nghia Province,
South Vietnam
Mar 19, 1946 — Feb 26, 1969

Larry Koski Ceremony
In Memoriam

Saturday, September 26, 1992
MEMORIAL DEDICATION PROGRAM

—Original Dedication Program—

“Chariots of Fire”

Color Guard March

Posting of the Colors

“Star Spangled Banner”
Tebra Carter and James T. Crawford Jr.

Welcome
Pat Miles and Mark Suppelsa,
   Masters of Ceremony

“The Pledge of Allegiance”
Led by Robert Jensen, Father of
   James A. Jensen, KIA

Invocation
Chaplain Colonel Dean E. Johnson

Speakers
Governor Arne Carlson

Memorial Unveiling Speech by V.V.A. President, Dick Bergling

History of the MVVM
MVVM Board of Directors
Doug Carlson, “Billboard” Sally and Bill Popp
Design Team
Richard and Sandy Naughton,
   James Steele Construction Company

Speakers

Jan Scruggs, founder of the
   Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Ken Wells, former prisoner of war
Dean Stricklin, brother of Thomas G. Stricklin, KIA

“In My Life”
Tebra Carter and James T. Crawford, Jr.

Speakers
General John Vessey, Retired former Chairman
   of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
General William C. Westmoreland, Retired,
   former Army Chief of Staff; former Commander,
   Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV)

Closing Remarks
Teresa Vetter, President,
   Minnesota Vietnam Veterans Memorial

“The Young Dead Soldiers”

   Read by Tom Asp, Vietnam Veteran

“America the Beautiful”
   Margaret Sallis

21-Gun Salute

Taps

Flyovers

Reading of Names by Family Members
   Led by Kathleen Webber Ross,
   Mother of John Knute Webber, KIA

Sunday, September 26

Flag Raising Dedication For SP/4 Verle Larson

SP/4 Verle N Larson
Hometown: Dalbo
Army
506th Infantry/101st Airborne
Thua Thien Province, S. Vietnam
Jan 23, 1949 — Aug 5, 1969

“He Gave His All” Performed by Jerry Rau
Honoring Big Brother Verle

Wall Rubbings

Rubbings off the engraved wall took place throughout the weekend. It was a way for family and friends to take a piece of the wall with them.

Love Memorials
Left at the Wall

Each panel of the memorial was showered with wreaths, flowers, pictures, cards, pins, beer, and medals left behind for loved ones. Board members Gary and Mary Wisbar collected the memorabilia each day. Mary shared that the emotions expressed by the families and friends of the casualties made this whole experience very memorable and rewarding.

Skydiver Drop-In

Three sky-jumpers floated in to honor our Memorial on this beautiful day.

Celebration Conclusion
Veteran Flag Presentation

The Dedication Weekend concluded on Sunday at 3 pm. VVA #470 of Anoka lowered and refolded the flag of Specialist Larson. Squad Leader, Mike Clark, presented the flag to the father, Wilmer Larson, and the family from a grateful nation.

A Final Thank You

Time and again the effort to build the Minnesota Vietnam Veterans Memorial has drawn to it people who have given generously of their time, talent, energy and money. To thank all of those who have contributed is impossible. The true thanks, especially for those with several years of their lives in this effort, will come in their knowing that this Memorial is here because of what they did. This Memorial that the people of Minnesota dedicate and give to the family members and veterans today seems small in comparison to what these soldiers gave to their country some 20 years ago.

We will never forget, and we must never let it happen again.

Teresa Vetter
President, MVVM

MVVM Brings Minnesota Soldiers Home
1992 Press Release by Nancy Larson

The time was long overdue to begin the healing process, to offer comfort, and to bring Minnesotans home…in heart and spirit. With hundreds of volunteers over a five-year period and thousands of generous Minnesotans, we had the financial support to build a memorial. The Minnesota Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on the State Capital grounds on September 25-27, 1992 with hundreds of loved ones, friends, supporters, and survivors in attendance.

The three-day celebration carried a variety of emotions and feelings that only the witnesses could comprehend. Eight Gold Star Mothers shared their sons’ casket flags and memories as the 1127 names of the killed and 35 missing from the Vietnam War were unveiled. The inscription by Archibald MacLeish above the names read, “We were young, We have died. Remember us.” Sons and Daughters, a new organization of children of Vietnam casualties, reflected on how Vietnam had touched their lives. On Saturday, over sixty-three U.S. Color Guard teams from across Minnesota, and from all the eras, produced an almost endless explosion of colored flags, applause, cheers, and tears as they flowed again and again and again down the State Capital Mall. Leading the proud militia was one of the honored guests, General William Westmoreland, retired Commander of the Vietnam Armed Forces. Other honored guests of our Dedication Ceremony included: Jan Scruggs, founder of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C.; Governor Arne Carlson; former Senator Doug Carlson who drew in the State of Minnesota to support the project with a location, $300,000 and a national design competition; and Dick Naughton, of the James Steel Construction Company, the builder of the Memorial. Arousing applause followed the introduction of board member Billboard Sally, the grandmother who was determined to live on a twenty-five-foot-high billboard until she raised $73,000. She was grounded nearly three weeks later when the final $50,000 contribution was delivered by another guest, Bill Popp, President and owner of LDB International Corporation.

Teresa Vetter, originator, and President of the MVVM, shared in her personal and heartfelt manner that… “this Memorial is dedicated to all the young Minnesotans who traded in their youth to become soldiers. It is dedicated to those who never made it home, and to those who love them. This Memorial is for all of us today because Vietnam is not behind us, it is in us… This Memorial is for all Minnesotans for all times. It is a history lesson written one name at a time, a human life, one at a time, over the course of more than a decade.”

For many, the weekend allowed a place to come together, to feel feelings, and to find support that until now had not been available to those that the Vietnam War touched so long ago. While for many, the war may never end, for others the Memorial provided an opportunity to bring the memories, the pain, the losses…to begin the healing. The MVVM offers a journey home — a journey to peace.

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Richard Bergling, MVVA President

Honored Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Brothers and Sisters,

It is indeed a great honor for me to be chosen to speak to you today.

Two years ago we stood here and broke ground for this the Minnesota Vietnam Veterans Memorial. A lot of things have happened since then: the Gulf War, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the reunification of Germany, the total realignment of the western world.

We don’t often think that what we do today will have any significant impact on tomorrow, next week, next year or even decades in the future. But, ladies and gentlemen, I can assure you that what we did in Korea and in Vietnam has reshaped the world in ways that would have been hard to imagine at that time.

As undeclared wars, the Korean and Vietnam wars may have been thought to be insignificant. But they were big wars like World War I and World War II. And we have not gotten over them yet.

The Korean and Vietnam wars were alike in a number of ways. Both were undeclared. Both took us to places far away to people very unlike us. Both wars answered the spreading threat of communism. And certainly, both wars extracted a high price in thousands of young lives, the ultimate tool of foreign policy.

Sacrificing young lives seems like an awfully big price to pay. It’s hard to see that such a great sacrifice is worth the cost.

But this Memorial is a reminder of that big price. It calls us to keep before us the sacrifice that has been made and tells us to cherish the standards and ideals for which those brave young men died.

It is a place where we can put Vietnam in perspective, a place to off-load the heavy burden we have carried for so long. A place to say these men did not die in vain. And because of that, we can all go on with our lives.

This Memorial is stone, but you, my brothers and sisters, are a living memorial of the price this Memorial reminds us of. We are reminded to see where we’ve been. We’re reminded that we have a responsibility to get on with our lives, to make our lives the best they can be. And we’re reminded to teach the young and help our sick brothers and sisters by promoting and defending veteran benefits. We have the privilege — No, …the obligation to change people and institutions.

If we go home today and forget we’re the living part of this Memorial, if we do nothing, then those who died will have their sacrifice and their memory cheapened by us. I know if my name was on this Memorial, I would want the blood I spilled to count for something more than the cost of a bullet.

I’m asking you to find out how to change the people and the conditions around you. I’m asking you to be politically active. This Memorial must be more than granite and cement. It must be reference point to remind us to do all in our power publicly and privately.

For the sons and daughters of the dead and the missing in action to be strengthened; for the young to be taught by us the price of freedom comes at a great cost — not only in the way they died, but in the way we live.

It is my hope that this stone will give due respect to the sacrifices made by all.

For you, the families of our POW/MIA’s, it must be a place that gives you hope that someday your loved one will return.

It must be a place, my brothers and sisters, to heal our wounds and those of our families.

This is a quiet and holy place. It marks the sacrifice of those killed in war. It also points to our duty to take the reins of leadership in our local, state, and national governments. We have so much to offer and so much to lose if we do not. We have walked a long road. And the journey isn’t over yet.

Each of us are at different points in the road — but this stone says to you today — and I say to you — Welcome Home.

Thank you.

Raising of Larry Koski’s flag on Dedication Weekend, September 1992
Presented by Joanna Koski, wife of Larry’s brother and MVVM Board Member

“I want to welcome each of you here today that took time out of your busy schedule to share this special moment in history with us. It is important that everyone knows that although the family is very honored to be able to fly Larry Koski’s casket flag today, this is merely a representation of all the men and women who so graciously served their country during the Vietnam conflict. It represents those of all races who served side-by-side, willing to give that ultimate sacrifice – their lives – for their country. It also pays homage to the men and women whose fate is yet unknown, to those who are still possibly being held prisoner of war or otherwise “missing in action”. The POW/MIA flag flown directly below the United States Flag will be there until these men and women are home again in the United States of America. My heart goes out to those still waiting, yet to this day, to resolve the fate of their loved one.

The United States flag is unique in the deep and noble significance of its message to the entire world. A message of national independence, of individual liberty, of idealism and patriotism.

This is truly a weekend of mixed emotions. One part of me wants to jump up and down and yell, “We did it! Our dream became a reality! By “we” I mean everyone who contributed in any way. Without every donation, large or small, and the sacrifices made by numerous volunteers in giving up their precious time over the years, this beautiful memorial would not be here today.

Another part of me wants to cry and say “why?” Why did they have to die? Why do others have to suffer for so many years, still not knowing to this day what happened to their loved one? If Larry’s Mother, Hilma, and his brother Ray were here they would be so proud to see Larry honored in this way.

What is the reason for these mixed emotions? I don’t have the answer. All I know is that the time has come to thank ALL OF YOU for whatever you have given – your money, your time, your son, your brother, your father, or your comrade.

And to those who served and survived – THANK YOU for the freedom we know and love today! You will always be my hero!

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A Letter From General Westmoreland to the Koski Family

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Color Guard March

Led by General Westmoreland and Anoka V.V.A.

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The Young Dead Soldiers
By Archibald MacLeish

The young dead soldiers do not speak.

Nevertheless, they are heard in the still houses:
who has not heard them?

They have a silence that speaks for them at night
and when the clock counts.

They say: We were young. We have died. Remember us.

They say: We have done what we could but
until it is finished it is not done.

They say: We have given our lives but
until it is finished no one can know what our lives gave.

They say: Our deaths are not ours; they are yours;
they will mean what you make them.

They say: Whether our lives and our deaths were for
peace and a new hope or for nothing we cannot say;
it is you who must say this.

They say: We leave you our deaths. Give them their meaning.

We were young, they say. We have died. Remember us.

 

“The Young Dead Soldiers” by Archibald MacLeish.
Copyright © 1948, 1976 by Archibald MacLeish.
Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Company.
All rights reserved.

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Flyovers

The UH-1D Huey Helicopter was called the workhorse of the Vietnam War. It could fly 115 mph just above the tree line, typically carrying 8-12 men. The Huey gave close combat support to the troops, evacuated wounded to medical facilities, brought supplies, and moved troops to and from battle sites. They were also used for observation. Others became modified as gunships for initial contact or to beat back the enemy.

The C130 Hercules was a 4-engine turboprop transport aircraft capable of operating in rough, dirt strips. It could carry up to 124 passengers. It was the largest aircraft built up to that time, with a capability of 367 mph. Primarily used
as a supply carrier, it would airdrop troops and equipment into hostile areas.
Some were used as gunships.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon was a compact, single-engine, supersonic multi-role fighter aircraft. It was an all-weather fighter designed for daytime dog fights. It had high maneuverability, acceleration, and range.

Audiences may have observed them flying in a “missing pilot formation” at shows.

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He Gave His All
By Jerry Rau (9/28/38 -10/15/21)
“I was part of a flag-raising ceremony for Verle Larson. Verle’s sister, Nancy, had asked me to sing. I sang a song that I wrote especially for Verle and the Larson family. Little did I think when I learned to play the guitar on a lonely outpost in Vietnam that I would someday be able to bring some meaning and comfort to the family of a casualty of the war. For that experience alone — the pain and hardship I endured– was worth it all. I had survived somehow to be the singer at those precious moments for the family. How utterly beautiful.” — Jerry Rau

Jerry Rau was a Vietnam veteran and folksinger.
He performed a song he wrote for Verle’s Flag-Raising.

He was a young man, no different, than others his age,
who when the time came did answer the call.
He fought for a country divided with hate.
He gave his heart, his soul and his all.

He gave his life for a cause he thought just and right.
He crossed the seas to join in the fight.
He gave his life so that others might freely live.
What more does a man have to give.

Now we’ll never know what was locked in his heart,
or the pain and the hardships he knew.
But his strength and his courage will not be forgot,
how he fought for the red, white and blue.

The years have passed since those terrible days.
How the memories are tossed with the wind.
For the families of those who were lost in the war,
the fires never have dimmed.

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