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Veterans honored BY ROGER KASA - Daily Plainsman IROQUOIS — A memorial honoring two Iroquois High School graduates killed in the Vietnam War was unveiled at a special Veterans Day program Friday at the high school gymnasium. The program was held at the same location where the townspeople gathered a week ago to welcome home the school’s football team that won the Class 9B state championship. The memorial contains a photograph of Robert Whites and Theodore Voigt, both victims of the Vietnam War. John Sweet, a 1964 graduate of Iroquois High School and a classmate of both honorees, was the featured speaker. He currently is the superintendent of schools at Delano, Minn., located west of Minneapolis on Highway 12. He gave a history of Veterans Day and saluted Voigt and Whites, along with two others from the area — Larry Norgaard, who graduated from De Smet High School, and Bill Biever, who graduated from Bancroft High School. Biever was killed in action in 1967, and Norgaard died in 1968. But the focus was on Voigt and Whites. Born in Mitchell, Voigt lived with the Vern Johnson family and graduated from Iroquois High School in 1963. He joined the Army in 1963 and was trained for the Special Forces at Fort Bragg, N.C. He was awarded a green beret. He was killed in Operation Firefight in 1967 in hostile ground action in Bing Long, South Vietnam. Voigt is buried in the St. John’s Lutheran Church cemetery at Wolsey. Whites was born in Huron and graduated from Iroquois High School in 1965. He attended Huron College until 1968. He was drafted into the Army and first reported missing in action in 1969. He died in a helicopter explosion over Vietnam, and his body is buried in the Iroquois cemetery. Sweet also introduced Michael Fitzmaurice, Congressional Medal of Honor winner from Cavour. Fitzmaurice now lives in Brandon and is custodian in the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Sioux Falls. The idea to honor Voigt and Whites came from Iroquois American Legion member Carl Matter. He brought the idea to the school and the American Legion post. The memorial will hang on the east wall at the entrance of the community room in the north gymnasium. Near the end of the program, Colin Royal, Iroquois American Legion commander, introduced Mary Wienbar as the winner of the Post 280 Teacher of the Year honors. Darold Rounds, another Iroquois native who now is superintendent of schools at Wessington Springs, sang the national anthem and a medley of four songs. He has served in the National Guard for 35 years. Family members participating in the dedication of the memorial were Carol Green of Sioux Falls, sister of Bob Whites, and Bill Whites, a brother, along with Ed Voigt, brother of Theodore Voigt. Iroquois Sons of The American Legion chaplain Brent Matter led the prayer and benediction; the fifth- and sixth-grade students led the Pledge of Allegiance; and Boys’ State delegate Joe Peskey told about the Unknown Soldier. Kim Bornitz, Girls’ State delegate, read, “Mommy, What is a Veteran,” and Dean Royal, Sons of The American Legion Vice Commander, posted the POW-MIA flag. A painting of a Vietnam War veteran was donated to the community by Galen Wallum, a native of Manchester and Iroquois High School graduate. Wallum, who now lives in Wall, did 16 paintings of the Vietnam War for the Pierre ceremony held in September. He still has some of them for sale.
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