Staff Sergeant Keven Zane Goodno was serving his second tour of duty in Vietnam in the fall of 1972. Goodno had enlisted in the Army, entering the service via Regular Military; he began his second tour May 19, 1972. As an E5 Grade, Goodno held a crucial leadership role and focused on training, mentoring and directing small teams. His specialty was Reconnaissance Specialist. … [Read more...]
Fountain’s Robert Earley, Tank Commander in Cologne Tank Duel
Robert Earley, a farmer from Fountain, played an important role in a tank duel in Cologne in the closing chapters of World War II. Earley was the tank commander of a Pershing tank with the call sign Eagle 7; the tank and its elite crew were part of Operation LumberJack. At the age of 29, Earley was the “hardened old man among a unit of the boyish tankers.” Eagle 7 had … [Read more...]
Area Veterans Fly to D.C. on Honor Flight
It was a whirlwind of a day, but one that Donald Ruen, Cliff Sackett, Ron Vorwerk, and David Whalen will never forget. They, along with 82 other military veterans flew to Washington, D.C. on a North Star Honor Flight on April 27. North Star Honor Flight is one of over 128 hubs of the Honor Flight Network and is based out of Adams, Minn. It serves 10 counties in southern … [Read more...]
Veterans Experience A Welcome Home
When the North Star and Freedom Honor Flight delegations returned from their one day trips to Washington, D.C., crowds of people lined the airports of Rochester and La Crosse to welcome them back home. “That’s not the way it was when we returned from Vietnam,” remarked Mike Lane of Chatfield, “it took 50 years before I heard ‘Welcome Home’ after my time serving in Vietnam.” … [Read more...]
Recognizing the Decade of Service for MRS-Preston
By Nathan D. Pike Madelia, MN Past MRS-Preston commander 2015-2021 This Veterans Day 2025 we remember those who have served the country and gave of themselves to a greater cause for the continued freedom we enjoy in these United States. As the first commander of the Memorial Rifle Squad, Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery-Preston, I want to recognize the countless … [Read more...]
Military Traditions: Veteran Coins
You may be unfamiliar with the two military coin traditions, as I once was. These traditions are said to date back to the time of the Roman Empire. Of course, there are those who share other origin stories, but regardless of what you believe, both traditions have endured for decades. The first is the challenge coin which represents an achievement, an affiliation with an … [Read more...]
Military Rock Finished in Caledonia
Top photos, Sarah Pederson of Lucid Painting, Coon Valley, Wis., was commissioned by the Caledonia Street Scapes committee to paint a boulder to recognize and honor all our veterans and active military members. The rock is located at North Park in Caledonia, Minn., visible to all who travel Highway 44. This mural is not officially connected to or endorsed by the U.S. Dept. of … [Read more...]
Fillmore, Houston and Mower County Veterans
Fillmore County Veterans Dean R. Aarre Loren “Ordale” Aarre Daniel R. Aarsvold Scott Aarsvold Carl A. Aasum Brian Abell Lisa Abell Victor Abbott Kenneth W. Abraham Paul C. Abrahamson Leslie ‘Moe’ Adamo Aaron Adams John S. Adams Dave Adamson Gordon Addington Michael Adler Arthur Affeldt Brent Afseth Gustave … [Read more...]
Fillmore County Flashback – Calvin Hoag: A Civil War Story
By Bretta Grabau Fillmore County Historical Society It is always a pleasure for a museum to receive objects that can further explain the story of an artifact already in its collection. Years ago, before the Fillmore County Historical Society had even moved into its present facility in Fountain on County 8 just off of Highway 52 from the courthouse, a picture had been given … [Read more...]
Maynard E. Johnson of Mabel Killed in Action in France, Near the Rhine River
By Gretchen Dahlen Former Mabel resident Maynard E. Johnson was born in 1924 in Newburg (rural Mabel), Minn. He graduated from Mabel High School and entered the University of Minnesota. He was inducted into the Army in June 1943 and sent to Texas, receiving training through the Army Service Training Program (ASTP). Pulled out early, he was assigned to the 66th Infantry … [Read more...]