To the editor:

I am a combat wounded Vietnam veteran that came within inches of having my name on this panel, like some other area Vietnam vets. Two of these men were killed while I was in Vietnam. And after a year, and many prayers, I made it home… alive. Now, I need to help keep the memory of these six men alive, as long as possible, especially here in our hometown.

Here are just some of the reasons for locating the proposed Vietnam veterans’ monument in German Park. This is meant to be a “Remembrance” of these young men in life. It needs to be placed where there is life, where families, adults, teens, children, friends and pets gather and see it often, even if just in passing by. Hopefully, sooner or later, many people will have taken the time to read the inscriptions on both sides of the panel, reflect and are able to better understand what young men and women give up or lost serving our country, especially the six from the New Ulm area who were killed in action in Vietnam. The inscriptions on the monument are very fitting and moving, but too lengthly to include here; one side has the poem, “The Young Dead Soldiers Do Not Speak” by Archibald Macleish and the other side has a quote from the speech Casper Weinberger, former Sec. of Defense, delivered at the dedication ceremony of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington DC. The inscription is to honor all Vietnam veterans, and like me and many others, are still living and pray and hope to be around for many more years. Locating this “Remembrance” in a cemetery is not a proper place for it, at least not yet.

There are many Vietnam and Vietnam Era veterans living in the New Ulm area, and they, along with the six men named on the panel, most likely spent much time in this part of New Ulm in their youth as I did, swimming in the outdoor pool, watching or participating in various sports in the fields at Johnson Park, and those of you that remember, cruising the downtown streets on weekend nights and/or “loitering” in front of Eibner’s Restaurant.

The donor stated that he is open to changing just about anything regarding size, shape, materials etc, but no changes to the general location by the American flag in German Park or the inscriptions on the panels. The site can be designed to take into consideration the possibility of adding panels in the future remembering other wars/events. A big benefit of locating it in German Park is that many things are already in place, the United States Flag, restrooms, public parking, seating, picnic areas, handicap accessibility, the proximity to downtown and other amenities. Planning and building a larger veterans monument similar to the ones in St. Peter or Fairmont, is a great idea, but will take five, ten years or more, and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I graduated the “Class of 1966” from New Ulm High School and lived in this area all my “civilian” life. So, I am writing this after much thought and consideration and do support this project along with many other New Ulm veterans. Roy Janni

New Ulm

Vietnam Veteran 1968-1969