Charles City man will be added to Vietnam vets’ memory list

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com 

A Charles City man will be included in a group of five Iowans to be added to a list of Vietnam War veterans whose lives were cut short as a result of their service after they returned from Vietnam.

More than 300 Vietnam vets will be inducted into the “In Memory” program this summer, sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

One of those vets is Dale Gene Miller of Charles City, who served in the Army in Vietnam and who died July 5, 2017, at the age of 71.

Miller owned Miller’s DX Filling Station in Charles City with his brother, Fred, then later became an insurance adjuster for Floyd County Mutual until his retirement.

He was a member of Vietnam Veterans of America, the Disabled American Veterans, American Legion Post 174, VFW Post 3914 and the Charles City Ceremonial Unit.

On June 16, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) will host more than 2,000 people at the annual In Memory ceremony on the East Knoll of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where each of this year’s honoree’s name will be read aloud.

“For many Vietnam veterans, coming home from Vietnam was just the beginning of a whole new fight,” said Jim Knotts, VVMF president and CEO. “Many never fully recovered, either physically or emotionally, from their experiences. As these veterans pass, it is our duty and solemn promise to welcome them home to the place that our nation has set aside to remember our Vietnam veterans.”

The plaque that honors these veterans was dedicated as a part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site in 2004. It reads: “In Memory of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service. We honor and remember their sacrifice.”

In Memory began in 1999 and has since honored more than 3,200 veterans. The In Memory Honor Roll has a remembrance page for each veteran and can be seen online at www.vvmf.org/honor-roll. The 2018 inductees will be added after the June ceremony.

Examples of causes of death that fit the criteria for inclusion in the In Memory program are post-traumatic stress disorder illness and events, exposure to Agent Orange and similar chemicals, diabetes, cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, ischemic heart disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and Parkinson’s disease.

The other Iowans to be inducted this year are:

• Thomas Henry Als of Mason City, Navy, died July 1, 2016, at age 69.
• Dennis Rex Brower of Carroll, Navy, died March 31, 2011, at age 62.
• Herman Albert Eagle Jr. of Ainsworth, Army, died May 19, 2009, at age 60.
• James Leroy Weins of Calumet, Air Force, died April 21, 2009, at age 58.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is the nonprofit organization that founded the Vietnam Veterans Memorial — also known as The Wall — in Washington, DC, in 1982.

VVMF’s mission is to honor and preserve the legacy of service in America and educate all generations about the impact of the Vietnam War and era.

For more information on the In Memory program or to apply to have a loved one honored in 2019, visit: www.vvmf.org/inmemory.