Local Veterans take in parade, pass on war stories

By Kayla Gahagan, Journal staff | Wednesday, November 12, 2008

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In a slow, symbolic hand off, Vietnam War veterans will soon carry the torch of making sure military sacrifices are not forgotten, a Korean War veteran said Tuesday after the Veterans Day parade commenced under the warmth of the sun and to the claps and cheers of community members.

"The Korean veterans are slowly fading away," said Marvin Knapp, a Korean War veteran who served from 1952 to 1954. As veterans die and the stories of their wars wane with time, generations to come will need reminders of why they are free, he said.

Knapp was one of many veterans who came out Tuesday for the annual Veterans Day parade down Main Street, many of them riding in vehicles honoring their service, while others stayed on the sidewalk, straightening to a salute as the American flag moved past.

Chris Budden, an Army veteran, leaned against the railing outside the Firehouse Brewing Co. and waited for the parade to move in front of him. He adjusted his schedule so he wouldn't miss it. Veterans Day doesn't bring back painful memories for him, he said. Instead, the day is about enjoying freedom.

"It's just a good thing to be able to recognize veterans," he said.

Even if community members don't flock to the parade, or the kids who enjoy a vacation day from school Tuesday don't go out and participate in a Veterans Day-related activity, they are still probably doing something that was possible because of the freedom they enjoy, he said.

"As long as they're doing something they love, that's what Veterans Day is about," he said.

Bill Jobgen, a Korean War veteran, watched the parade with his wife, Dorothy, whom he married after his war service. He usually rides in the parade but was weak after a bout with West Nile virus. Jobgen remembers guarding prisoners on Koje Island during the war.

"I was really lucky while I was there," he said.

His wife thinks that even though the Iraq War is very different from the one her husband fought in, younger generations understand the cost.

"Maybe you have to be a veteran to really understand what goes on over there, but I think people are aware of how much our freedom means to us," she said.

The weapons are different, but loss and freedom don't change from war to war, Paul Gillings, a Vietnam veteran, said. His grandfather served in World War I, and his father served in World War II.

"It's more high-tech, but it's still just as dangerous," he said. "You still have to have guys doing the face-to-face stuff."

Al Glinsmann, a Korean War veteran, agreed.

"There are always sacrifices, but they are appreciated by the people who we helped find freedom again," he said.

Glinsmann said he was fortunate not to have been on the front lines while serving, and he often thinks of the men who did.

That's why it's a day of mixed feelings, Knapp said.

"It gets emotional when people say, 'Thank you for serving,'" he said.

Contact Kayla Gahagan at 394-8410 or kayla.gahagan@rapidcityjournal.com