The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will dedicate a new Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. The memorial will honor the following UW-Platteville students and alumni killed in action:
- Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ronald R. Blohm - Army
- Sergeant Edwin F. Brown - Army
- Second Lieutenant Vasilios Demetris - Marine Corps
- Lance Corporal Daniel F. Gallagher - Marine Corps
- Specialist 4 John C. Imrie - Army
- Hospitalman Larry W. Knight - Navy
- First Lieutenant Dean W. Krueger - Air Force
- Specialist 4 Paul E. Mattson - Army
- Corporal Francis T. Mulvey - Army
- Specialist 4 Brian S. Perlewitz - Army
- Hospitalman Richard E. Sutherland - Navy
- Private First Class Louis L. Zittergruen – Army
The efforts to honor the fallen began about five years ago, when retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Mac Kolar, a 1969 graduate of UW-Platteville, was researching and writing the stories of soldiers killed in war from his hometown of Fennimore, Wisconsin. This led him to connect with fellow alumnus Dr. Jim Lawton, a 1967 UW-Platteville graduate and a fraternity brother of one of the soldiers Kolar was writing about. The two came to realize that no Vietnam War veteran memorial existed on campus – nor did a comprehensive list of students or alumni killed in action – so the pair set out to change this. With the help of Dr. David Krugler, UW-Platteville professor of history, and his students, they were able to conduct research and identify the 12 students and alumni killed in action.
The dedication ceremony is open to the public and will take place on the UW-Platteville main campus at 10 a.m. at the flagpole in front of Ullsvik Hall. A reception will be held at noon in Velzy Commons, inside Ullsvik Hall.
For more information about the ceremony, visit www.uwplatt.edu/events/2022/11/vietnam-veterans-memorial-dedication.