A day for those who never came home

Local communities observe Memorial Day
GRUNDY COUNTY- Services across the county on Monday provided a somber reminder on a blustery morning: some of those who wore the uniform and fought for the United States of America never returned.
All of the communities in Grundy County held some form of remembrance for those lost at war, and Beaman, as part of its 135th annual weekend long celebration, conducted a customary afternoon program featuring guest speaker Robert Colin, a Grundy County native and Army veteran.
“You were probably expecting some famous politician (or) a war hero, but I am none of those things. I’m just an old fat Vietnam veteran that got back in one piece,” Colin said. “And many did not.”
Colin, who now resides in Des Moines, shared the story of his two-year stint in the military during the conflict in Southeast Asia and how the importance of his service didn’t fully sink in until years later.
“Today, I’m proud to be a veteran. Today, it means a lot more to me than it did when I first got back from Vietnam,” he said. “I was just young, and I wanted to get on with my life. I wanted to be out there chasing girls, getting a job, making money and all of those things that come with youth.”
He went on to offer a tribute to Randy Mast, a Marshalltown native and childhood friend of Colin’s who was killed in Vietnam, Richard “Dick” Westberg, who was also killed in action, the late Dennis Stahl of Grundy Center and the late Daniel Deach. Colin called military service a “blank check,” as some pay the ultimate price, and he honored four Vietnam veterans who were in the crowd.
For the full story, see this week's Grundy Register.