LZ Peace Memorial has 12 names added of those who died of Agent Orange effects

By Margaret Downing

Reporter

Twelve Vietnam veterans were honored on Sept. 25 at the LZ Peace Memorial at Midway Village on Guilford Road in Rockford. 

As noted by Vietnam Veterans Honor Society Chairperson Todd Burd, “These veterans have died within the past couple of years.”

Turnout for the event was tremendous.

The additional names of Agent Orange victims who were added honoring those already listed on the memorial are:

Michael E. Baxter

Kerby Beehler

Stanley A, Brengel

Kenton Ellison

David Graves

Gregg Nelson

Roger G. Parrish

Joseph Sola

Dale “Doc” Spurlock

Dennis D. Steinhoff

Robert “Bob” Wood

Donald F. York

These names will join the

names already on the Memorial,

which are listed as:

John Charles Alberts, Army,

South Beloit

James Allan Ascher, Army,

Winnebago

Melvin Ballard, Army,

Rockford

Ralph Anthony Barcelona,

Army, Rockford

Norman Elmer Beck, Marines,

Rockford

Larry Dean Bell, Marines,

Rockford

John H. Berg, Army, Rockford

Wayne Valgeen Blake, Marines,

Rockford

Alan Lee Boyer, Army,

Rockford

George Richard Butler,

Marines, Durand

Arnoldo J. Cardenas, Army,

Rockford

Curtis Paul Challberg,

Army, Loves Park

Eldon Dean Coldren Jr.,

Army, Rockford

Daniel Coleman, Marines,

Rockford

Michael Lee Collins, Army,

Rockford

John C. Davis, Army, South

Beloit

Earmon Ray Derrington,

Army, Rockford

Martin John DiMarzio,

Army, Rockford

John Paul Didier Jr., Army,

Rockford

Curtis Lee Duckett, Army,

Rockford

George N. Fanis Jr., Army,

Rockford

Patrick Dale Finch, Army,

Rockford

David Eugene Flaningam,

Marines, Rockford

Thomas Duane Glawe, Marines,

Rockford

Thomas A. Goebel, Marines,

Rockford

Ray Lonnie Gonce, Marines,

Loves Park

David Arlin Gulrantson,

Army, Rockford

Richard F. Hawks, Marines,

Rockford

Ronnie L. Hawks, Marines,

Rockford

Daniel Robert Hoffman,

Army, Rockford

John R. Hornsby, Army,

Rockford

Michael Joseph Ingrassia,

Army, Rockford

John Jeffrey Jensen, Army,

Rockford

Daniel Gene Johnson,

Army, Rockford

Gerald Dennis Kiesling,

Army, Rockford

Larry William Knight,

Navy, Rockford

Terry Lee Larsen, Army,

Rockford

Steve Donald Lee, Army,

Rockford

J. L. Lyles, Army, Rockford

Notley Gwynn Maddox,

Air Force, Rockford

Larry Dale McGhee, Army,

Rockford

Michael John McGlothlin,

Marines, Pecatonica

Michael James McKinson,

Marines, Pecatonica

Donald L. Meehan Jr.,

Army, Rockford

Gary Lee Mizner, Army,

Rockford

Philip Gwyn Nichols,

Army, Rockford

David Donell Nicholson,

Marines, Rockford

Lawrence E. Orsborn,

Navy, Rockford

James H. Owens Jr., Army,

Rockford

Stanley F. Patterson, Army,

Loves Park

Wallis Gilbert Patterson,

Army, Rockford

Robert Verner Pearson,

Army, Rockford

Feliz Perris, Marines,

LZ Peace Memorial has 12 names added

of those who died of Agent Orange effects

Loves Park

Roderick James Rodenbeck,

Army, Rockford

Henry Clyde Sanders, Marines,

Rockford

Kris Edward Shaw, Army,

Rockford

Lora William Snyder, Marines,

Rockford

Gordon William Stark,

Army, Rockford

Charles Stanley Tarbert,

Army, Pecatonica

A. W. Tripplett, Marines,

Rockford

Ronald A. Van Wambeke,

Marines, Rockford

Marcelino Vargas Jr., Marines,

Rockford

John Wesley Vowles, Marines,

Cherry Valley

Harold Francis Werle, Marines,

Rockford

Kenneth Leroy White,

Army, Rockford

Jerry Wayne Wickam,

Army, Rockford

Lonnie Williams, Army,

Rockford

Robert Earl Williams, Marines,

Rockford

John Wayne Woolbright,

Marines, Rockford

Kurt Frederick Zimmerman,

Marines, Durand

Lester “Lek” Vance, Army,

Rockford

Craig Walter Anderson,

Navy, Rockford

David Lawrence Lyons,

Navy, Rockford

Ronnie Albert Hecker,

Army, Rockford

The memorial is sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans Honor Society, which is described on the organization’s website as:

“The LZ Peace Memorial is a place of honor for those veterans who served our country, in war and in peace. This memorial stands as a testimony to those soldiers from Winnebago County who made the ultimate sacrifice at a time of great conflict.” 

The LZ (Landing Zone) Peace Memorial is located at Midway Village Museum, 6799 Guilford Road, in Rockford. It stands adjacent to an actual Huey Helicopter from the Vietnam War era. 

The Memorial lists all of those local veterans who have died as a result of exposure to Agent Orange. The site is a beautiful and peaceful place and these veterans deserve the honor the Memorial brings to their memory and for their service to our country.

Rockford veteran Nick Parnello founded the Vietnam Veterans Home Society in 1989 and it is under the auspices of the Vietnam Veterans Honor Society.

If you wish to make a donation to this endeavor, please send a check to the Vietnam Veterans Honor Society, P.O. Box 4304, Rockford, IL 61110.