Mentone Welcomes Moving Wall

MENTONE - Retired Maj. Gen. Robert B. Tanguy is guest speaker during the day of remembrance at the Traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial Saturday.

Called "The Wall that Heals," the monument opened this morning and will remain on the grounds of the Lawrence D. Bell Aircraft Museum, Oak and Jefferson streets, through Sunday.

Saturday's ceremony begins at 2 p.m. Tanguy, a Logansport native and West Point graduate, was commissioned in the Air Force and became a pilot.

A fighter squadron commander, wing and division commander, he served a year in Vietnam flying 146 combat missions in an F-4. He is a Distinguished Flying Cross recipient.

As a test pilot of 15 different military aircraft, he was an associate of Chuck Yeager.

Since leaving active duty, he has served as Arizona state administrator for Gov. Babbitt; was military consultant to Beretta, USA, in Washington, D.C.; served four years on the Marshall County Council; and is an active real estate broker.

Tanguy and his wife, Mary, have been married 51 years. They live in Culver and have three children.

During Saturday's ceremony, military veterans of all wars will be recognized and Vietnam veterans will be remembered. Roses will be presented to close relatives.

Closing ceremonies are Sunday at 3 p.m. The monument will close at 4 p.m. Sunday.

The following names are on the back of the memorial program, listing local people who were killed in Vietnam:

WO James Keith Ameigh, Sgt. Dennis Melvin Fairchild, Pfc. Roger D. Manns, and 1Lt. Neil McKinney, all of Akron; Pfc Richard Eugene Peters, Bourbon; Maj. Robert Warner Kurtz and LCpl. Dale Allen Pennington, both of Culver; MSgt. Hugh Miller Robbins, Denver; Sp4 Timothy Roy Roe and Cpl. James Franklin Talbott, both of Kewanna; Pfc. David Everett Brookins, Leesburg; Sfc. Audley Duane Mills, Maj. Marvin Isaac Siders and Sgt. Michael Karl Waymire, all of Macy; 1Lt. Dean Russell Orin, Nappanee; Sp4 Loren Lee Morford, North Manchester; Sp4 Dennis Eugene Gest, North Webster;

Also, Cpl. Linden Dale Eiler Jr, SSgt. Thomas Allen Grimes, HM3 Wayne Eldon Kaufman, Sp4 David Alan Marks, Pfc. John Michael Miller, Sp4 Michael J. Miller, 2Lt. Michael Grant O'Connell, Sgt. Ward Eugene See, WO Lewis Alan Walton and Sgt. Ivol Michael York, all of Peru; Pfc. Ernie Wallen, Sp4 Larry E. Workman and Sp5 Terry Wayne Kickerhoff, all of Pierceton; Pfc. Marvin Lee Dipert, Capt. Robert Lynne Long and SSgt. Glenn Airen Pranger, all of Plymouth; Cpl. James Arthur Ballinger, SSgt. Lawrence Gibson, Pfc. Carl David Johnson, Sgt. Joseph Loran Nunn, Sp4 George Packard, Sp4 James Robert Utter and Cpl. Marvin Ray White, all of Rochester;

Also, LCpl. Billy Ray Salyer, Silver Lake; Cpl. Avery Merrill Nye III, Sgt. Lyle Elton Smith and LCpl. Robert Wesley Wilfong, all of South Whitley; Sp4 Robert Wayne Ellis and Sp4 Jerry Denver Thomas, both of Syracuse; AA William Victor Brindle, Sgt. Daniel Raymond Fulwider, PSgt. Everett Gene Miller, Sgt. Randall Lee Pell and Pfc. Victor Lynn Poor, all of Wabash; and Sgt. Charles Lynn Baney, Cpl. Willard Clinton Debolt, Sgt. James Lee Foreman, Sp4 Phillip Lans Lackey, Maj. William Lee Nellans, Ltc. Russell Arden Poor, Pfc. Michael Allen Randall Sr. and Sgt. Robert Eugene Taylor, all of Warsaw.