‘Peace comes at a price’

Set upon an easel in the corner of the American Legion Post 111 and surrounded by flags and ornate wreaths was a large picture board with the names of four Newton soldiers who had died in service during the Vietnam War — David Lee McMath, Ronald Vernon Wearmouth, Edward James Brue and Franklin Daniel Schrader.

They are but a few of the more than 57,000 names scrawled upon the official, two-acre-long Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. These four men, along with every veteran in Newton, the state of Iowa and throughout the United States, were honored for their sacrifices Monday morning at the American Legion.

Rose Butler, of the VFW Auxiliary, knew two of those four men whose names and military backgrounds were presented to guests during the Veterans Day ceremonies — Wearmouth and Brue.

Wearmouth was her husband’s first cousin. The first time Butler met Wearmouth’s family was at the fallen soldier’s funeral when she and her future husband, Donald, were dating.

He was a sergeant. At the time of his death, Wearmouth’s patrol had been running a perimeter for about eight hours. He decided to take over and give his buddy a break. Butler said he walked the same path as before. While on guard, the 24-year-old had hit a landmine and was killed June 14, 1968. He was engaged to be married.

Looking at the board of four deceased Newton soldiers, Butler pointed to a black-and-white photo of Brue, the second person she knew.

“This young man is my first cousin,” she said. “Jimmy. Big Jim. He was about six-foot-two or six-foot-three, and when I was a child we always called him ‘Big Jim’ because when he walked into our house he had to bend over to get into the door.”

Brue had a wife and four children and was not supposed to return to Vietnam. Butler said his tour had finished, but “Big Jim” decided to go back because he could not secure a job quick enough that had adequate insurance to help treat a birth defect developed by one of his kids.

“He lined up for another tour,” Butler said. “He was on his way to South Vietnam and his plane was shot down ... I lost a very special person. And I never really got to meet (Wearmouth) — only in a casket. That’s no way to meet somebody.”

A sentiment likely shared by the many guests who gathered at the American Legion Monday morning and took time to honor and remember past, present and future veterans.

Jim Klier, a retired Navy man and commander of the VFW Post 1655, took part in the ceremonies, which included flag lines, a gun salute, prayer and a speech by a guest speaker. Afterward, guests were encouraged to mingle with their fellow veterans.

Personnel also acknowledged the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day by holding the event at 11:11 a.m., a nod to the historic ceasefire which took effect at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918.

Klier said it is paramount to honor those “who gave the ultimate sacrifice.”

“It is important to remember the fallen soldiers — men and women,” he said. “We should still respect these guys.”

Guest speaker Levi Pence, co-owner of Pence-Reese Funeral Home in Newton, said in his speech the United States has been involved in 41 wars, conflicts or interventions since World War I, the war to end all wars.

“Peace comes at a price,” he said. “... Thankfully, veterans stepped up at the time when our countrymen needed them. So we must continue the tradition of observing Veterans Day to recognize and remember our veterans — past and future — so that all forthcoming generations will be reminded and recognize the sacrifices that have been made by all veterans that have served this great nation.”

For Wally Schermerhorn, who was deployed from 1967 to 1969 and has served the Honor Guard for more than 12 years, Veterans Day is a time to remember his military family, which he said dates back all the way to the Revolutionary War.

“I have four brothers, a father, uncles, cousins — they all served our country,” Schermerhorn said. “It’s always been part of my family life. We’re a patriotic family and we love America — always have, always will. We’re proud to do it.”

Dale Maki, who was in active duty from 1971 to 1975 and has also served in the Honor Guard for 38 years, said honoring veterans is pivotal to those future men and women who will serve their country.

“If we don’t take care of our veterans today, will the potential veterans of tomorrow even serve?” Maki said. “We’ve got to take care of them.”

After the ceremonies, members of the local American Legion and VFW shared tables and swapped stories in the back room of the main hall. One man stood up and held his drink in the air for a toast. His brothers and sisters followed suit and raised their glasses and bottles as he recited an old Irish proverb, slightly modified.

"Here's to tall ships. Here's to small ships. And ships that sailed the seas. But the best ships are friendships, and may it always be," he said.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com