Chronicle: Nebraska's Vietnam War Memorial

THE STORIES AND PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S CHRONICLE. THANKS FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. I’M ROB MCCARTNEY. WELL, THIS MONTH WE’VE MARKED TWO SIGNIFICANT EVENTS HONORING OUR VETERANS, AND THEY BOTH HAPPENED ON JUNE SIXTH. THERE WAS THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY, THE TURNING OF THE TIDE IN WORLD WAR TWO. THAT WAS IN NORMANDY. AND THEN THERE WAS THE FIRST OFFICIAL DAY OF THIS. NEBRASKA’S NEW VIETNAM MEMORIAL IN PAPILLION. THAT’S WHAT WE’RE FOCUSING ON THIS MORNING. IT IS MEANT TO BE A PLACE OF REFLECTION AND HONOR. IT’S ALSO A PLACE NEARLY OF COMPLETION. YOU SEE, ON THE NEW WALL IN PAPILLION ARE THE NAMES OF FOUR NEBRASKA SAILORS WHO DIED DURING VIETNAM, BUT ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE ON THE MEMORIAL WALL IN WASHINGTON, D.C. AND I’VE BEEN LOOKING INTO WHY. WHILE ON MANEUVERS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA OFF THE COAST OF VIETNAM, JUNE 3RD, 2023, NIOBRARA NEBRASKA, 74 AMERICAN SAILORS WERE LOST AT THIS SMALL HISTORICAL MARKER ALONG HIGHWAY 12. FRIENDS, LOVED ONES AND OTHERS PAY THEIR RESPECTS TO FOUR OF NEBRASKA’S FALLEN WAR HEROES, INCLUDING THREE OF THEIR OWN. THE SAGEBRUSH WAS GARY, GREG AND KELLY. JOE ALL GREW UP IN NIOBRARA, AND THEY ALL DIED DURING THE VIETNAM WAR. DOUGLAS ROY MEISTER, A YOUNG LINDA, VA, WAS MARRIED TO 21 YEAR OLD GREG. I MET HIM AT A BLOOMFIELD FAIR. OH MY GOSH, BACK IN ABOUT 1965. SHE REMEMBERS HOW GREG WAS EXCITED TO JOIN HIS BROTHER. HIS OLDER BROTHER, GARY, ENLISTED INTO THE NAVY AND HE WROTE BACK WITH SUCH WONDERFUL STORIES. AND GREG SAID, DO YOU MIND IF I GO AND JOIN THE NAVY? AND HOW EXCITED HE WAS TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY? I SAID, HONEY, I’D BE PROUD OF YOU. JUNE 3RD, 1969. THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, JUST OFF THE COAST OF VIETNAM. THE SAGE BROTHERS ARE ALL ON THE USS FRANK E EVANS, A SUMNER CLASS NAVY DESTROYER. THEIR PARENTS HAD GIVEN THEM PERMISSION TO SERVE TOGETHER. ALSO ON BOARD A FOURTH NEBRASKAN, GARY HODGSON, FROM BEATRICE. NOW THE EVANS, WHICH HAD BEEN PROVIDING ARTILLERY SUPPORT TO AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN VIETNAM, HAS TO GO TO THE PHILIPPINES TO RESTOCK SUPPLIES AND REARM. BUT WHEN IT’S HEADING BACK TO VIETNAM, THE EVANS IS ORDERED TO TAKE PART IN OPERATION SEA SPIRIT, A MILITARY EXERCISE WITH MORE THAN 40 OTHER SHIPS OF U.S. ALLIES. AND THEN THIS IT’S THE OFFICIAL U.S. NAVAL STATION. THE SHIPS ARE IN DARKENED CONDITIONS WITHOUT THEIR LIGHTS ON. AT APPROXIMATELY 315 IN THE MORNING, THE EVANS IS RUNNING NEAR THE HMAS MELBOURNE, AN AUSTRALIAN AIRCRAFT CARRIER, WHEN, BECAUSE OF SOME SORT OF CONFUSION, THE EVANS TURNS DIRECTLY INTO THE PATH OF THE MUCH LARGER SHIP. NOW THIS IS A SHOT OF THE EVANS TAKEN ACTUALLY FROM THE FLIGHT DECK OF THE MELBOURNE, OBVIOUSLY BEFORE THE CRASH, AND THESE ARE THE FIRST SHOTS TAKEN AFTER IT. THE MELBOURNE HAD SLICED THE EVANS IN HALF, SENDING 74 SAILORS TO A WATERY GRAVE. ONLY ONE OF THEIR BODIES WAS EVER FOUND. NOW ON THE LOWER PART OF THIS MAP, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE COLLISION HAPPENED. NOT FAR OFF THE COAST. OF VIETNAM, BUT FAR ENOUGH THAT IT’S OUTSIDE WHAT THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DESIGNATED AS THE OFFICIAL COMBAT ZONE FOR THE VIETNAM WAR. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, NONE OF THE 74 ARE ELIGIBLE TO HAVE THEIR NAMES ENGRAVED HERE ON THE WALL. THE HIGHLY EMOTIONAL MONUMENT INSIDE THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL IN WASHINGTON, D.C., ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, TO HAVE A NAME ON THE WALL, THE PERSON MUST HAVE DIED WITHIN THE DEFINED COMBAT ZONE OR COMBAT SUPPORT MISSION, TO OR FROM THE DEFINED COMBAT ZONE. NOW, THE DOD HAS MADE EXCEPTIONS IN THE PAST AND HAS ADDED NAMES, BUT NOT THOSE OF THE SAILORS OF THAT FATEFUL CRASH IN 1969. WELL, NOW, MORE THAN 50 YEARS LATER, AND USING THIS KANSAS CITY GRANITE COMPANY, THEIR NAMES ARE GOING ON A VIETNAM WAR MEMORIAL WALL. THIS IS JOHNSON GRANITE, THEIR NATIONAL KNOWN FOR THEIR MEMORIALS AND MONUMENTS. WELL, NOW THEY’VE BEEN RECRUITED TO CREATE PART OF A NEW NEBRASKA VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL. THEY’RE MAKING A WALL THAT INCLUDES THE NAMES OF NEBRASKA, 400 VIETNAM FATALITIES, INCLUDING THE FOUR FROM THE USS EVANS. THIS IS THE ACTUAL PANEL WITH THE NAMES NEARLY READY. IT’S READY TO GO INTO THE SANDBLAST BOOTH. THAT’S WHERE DANIEL’S BLASTING IT NOW WITH ACTUAL SAND, BUT WITH ZIRCONIUM OXIDE ABRASIVE CUTTING DEEP INTO THE STONE. A LOT OF THE GRANITE IS DOMESTIC, FROM QUARRIES IN SOUTH DAKOTA AND VERMONT. BUT NOT ALL OF IT IS THESE BIG BLACK TABLETS. WE DON’T HAVE A BLACK QUARRY HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. SO WE GO TO INDIA. THEY WANT TO FIND THE PERFECT PRODUCT BECAUSE THEY WANT IT TO RESEMBLE THE MEMORIAL IN D.C., AND THEY EXPECT IT TO LAST A VERY LONG TIME. HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF YEARS. IT’S A VERY LONG LASTING PRODUCT. AND YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’VE GIVEN SOMETHING. NOW, SOME OF THESE PEOPLE GAVE EVERYTHING, SO IT’S A HUMBLE FEELING THAT WE JUST PARTICIPATED IN TELLING A STORY. AND WHILE THIS WORK’S BEEN HAPPENING IN KC, THIS WORK’S BEEN HAPPENING IN PAPILLION CREWS GETTING THE SITE READY FOR NEBRASKA’S MEMORIAL. IT’S BEEN A BATTLE, THOUGH, WITH FUNDING THE PANDEMIC, THE SUPPLY CHAIN, THE WEATHER. BUT BUT IT’S A BATTLE THAT NEEDED TO BE FOUGHT. THE FACT THAT WE GOT HERE AND THEY DIDN’T MEANS WE NEED TO HONOR THEM, AND WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THE MEMORIES FOR THEIR FAMILIES AND TELL THEIR STORIES. AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO DO. GEORGE ABBOTT IS A NAVY VET. HE ACTUALLY SERVED ON A DESTROYER IN VIETNAM AT THE SAME TIME. AND JUST LIKE THE EVANS, I WAS IN THE NAVY AND I WAS ON THE GUNLINE AND WE’RE A SISTER SHIP, BASICALLY, WE WERE DD 759 AND THEY WERE DD 754. NOW HE’S SERVING ON THE BOARD OF THE NEBRASKA, VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL. THE SITE WILL INCLUDE A RESTORED HUEY HELICOPTER, THE ACTUAL CHOPPER THAT FLEW MORE THAN 3000 HOURS IN VIETNAM. THERE WILL BE INTERACTIVE TILES OF VETERANS PLACES TO REFLECT ON THE WAR, AND OF COURSE, THE WALL AND ABBOTT SAYS, ADDING THE NAMES OF THE SAGE BROTHERS AND GARY HODGSON. IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. I THINK SOMEBODY NEEDS TO GET THEIR HEAD OUT OF THE PROVERBIAL AND GET IT DONE, BECAUSE THEY SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THE GUNLINE AND WHAT THEY CALL YANKEE STATION, WHICH IS WHERE THE DESTROYER WENT UP AND WORKED WITH THE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS. SO SO, YOU KNOW, IN MY OPINION, THEY CERTAINLY QUALIFY FOR BEING ON THE WALL. BUT I’M NOT THE GUY TO MAKE THAT DECISION. THIS HONOR AND REMEMBER, FLAG IS PRESENTED WITH THE ETERNAL GRATITUDE AND RESPECT IN MEMORY OF THE SAGE BROTHERS. NAME AND WE HAVE JUST NEVER FORGOTTEN THEM. AND WHILE IT’S NOT THE WALL IN D.C., IT IS RECOGNITION OF THE SUPREME SACRIFICE MADE BY SO MANY BY THE 74 MEN ON THE USS EVANS. WHY, THEY WON’T PUT IT ON THE WALL. ALL I ASKED IS A HALF AN INCH FOR 74 YOUNG MEN. AND FOR THOSE LIKE LINDA VOSS, WHO ARE STILL LIVING WITH THAT LOSS, WHO ARE STILL WONDERING WHY THE NAMES CAN’T BE IN D.C., I WANT MY SON TO GO SEE IT, MY GRANDDAUGHTER TO GO SEE THEIR FAMILY’S NAME ON THE WALL. THEY HOPE THE NEBRASKA WALL GIVES THEM SOME SOLACE, KNOWING THAT THOSE LOST ARE NOT FORGOTTEN. WHEN YOU FORGET THE BOYS, WHEN YOU FORGET THEIR NAMES, THEN THEY’RE DEAD. BUT WHEN THEY’RE ALWAYS REMEMBERED AND THEY’RE REMEMBERED WITH SUCH GOOD. UM. EVERYBODY IS SO PROUD TO KNOW HIM. NOW, GETTING THE NAMES ON THE NATIONAL VIETNAM WALL LITERALLY TAKES AN ACT OF CONGRESS. AND JUST DAYS AFTER THAT REPORT, CONGRESSMAN DON BACON’S OFFICE TOLD ME HE WAS GOING TO JOIN THE FIGHT TO GET THE NAMES OF THE FORGOTTEN FOUR ON D, C. S VIETNAM WAR MEMORIAL. BACON SAID THE VIETNAM WALL PROVIDES SOLACE TO FAMILIES OF VETERANS WHO GAVE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE DURING THE WAR, AND HE IS PLEASED TO GIVE HIS SUPPORT TO H.R. 3826. SO ALL SEVEN FOUR WILL BE RECOGNIZED AND REMEMBERED. OF COURSE, WE WILL KEEP AN EYE ON THIS, AND WE’LL LET YOU KNOW IF THERE’S ANY PROGRESS ON GETTING THE SAILORS ON THE D.C. WALL. BUT THEY ARE ON THE NEW VIETNAM WALL IN PAPILLION. AND NEXT HERE ON KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S CHRONICLE, WE’RE GOING TO TAKE YOU TO THE EMOTIONAL GRAND OPENING AND TALK WITH THE MAN IN CHARGE OF THE MEMORIAL ABOUT THE BATTLE TO GET IT BUILT.