Donald McSparen January 9, 1949 – August 1, 2024 The United States Navy – retired 1973-1996 Weapons Specialist E-6 Donald Lester McSparen was born in Ottumwa, Iowa. After studying at Ottumwa Schools, he studied truck driving at Greer Technical Institute in Braidwood, Illinois. He worked as a truck driver until 1973 when he enlisted in […]
Steven L. Swank Oct. 2, 1947 – Feb. 21, 2023 The United States Army Steve, known then as Curly graduated from Pella High in 1965 and immediately joined the army, but not before getting the crops in with his dad. He served in Germany and Vietnam, working on trucks and tanks. He was discharged on […]
Charles L. Mick August 29, 1927 – March 26, 2024 The United States Navy Chuck graduated from Oskaloosa High School in 1945, enlisted in the Navy, and began his active duty on October 24, 1945, at the Naval Training Center in San Diego, California. He served as a Yeoman, was discharged August 7, 1946, and […]
Tom Carl Holmberg October 5, 1936 – May 27, 2023 The United States Marine Corps US Army Signal Corps After graduating from Iowa State Teachers College High School in 1954 and one year at ISTC as a freshman, Tom Carl went on active duty with the USMC after being in the Marine Corps Reserves for […]
John Pendleton Steel Jr. September 24, 1943 – October 10, 2023 The United States Army and Army Reserves US Army Signal Corps While in college at Colorado State University, John served in ROTC; after graduating, he enlisted in the Army on October 24, 1966. He served in the Army Signal Corps in Panama and Nicaragua […]
Charles D. Lowry Nov. 3, 1938 – Jun 24, 2022 The United States Army and Army Reserves Private First Class E-3 Chuck was a delivery truck driver for Reisman Wholesale when he was drafted into the Army in 1961. He was stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, and the Army assigned him to heavy equipment operations; […]
Dr. Sidney Allen Smith April 18, 1927 – October 20, 2022 United States Navy The flag flying over the bandstand during December honors Sidney Smith. Sid was awarded his Fremont High School diploma early and entered the U.S. Navy on April 13, 1945. He served as a medic at the U.S. Navy Training Station in […]
Willis W. Wills September 13, 1914 – March 13, 1996 United States Army Willis was inducted into the Army on July 11, 1944, at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. He served in the Rhineland and Central Europe as a truck driver. He was awarded the Victory Medal, American Theater Ribbon, European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon with two Bronze […]
Lars Christian Legvold October 31, 1950 – October 24, 2022 United States Army Lars was a 1969 graduate of Oskaloosa High School and then attended William Penn College. He was drafted by the U.S. Army and was inducted on February 24, 1971. He served for almost two years, with ten months of that service overseas […]
Robert G. Phillips July 6, 1923 – January 1, 2007 WWII and the Korean Conflict United States Navy Robert “Bob” was raised in Oskaloosa. Following graduation from Oskaloosa High School in 1943, he and four other high school friends enlisted in the Navy in June 1943. They were all shipped to Farragut, ID, for basic […]
