Town Of Byron Memorial Day

Town of Byron veterans will be honored at the annual Memorial Day tribute scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at the Byron Town Hall on May 25, 2015. Bob Wondra, a local Vietnam veteran, is the keynote speaker.

The morning program also includes unveiling of nine names added to the Veterans Memorial, a roll call of veterans buried in Town of Byron cemeteries, a firing squad salute, and an open house exhibit from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The event, co-sponsored by the Town of Byron Veterans Memorial Committee and the Byron Historical Society, is open to the public.

Wondra, who was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1966, served a seven-month duty in South Vietnam before losing a leg in combat action just 10 days after his 21st birthday.  His Memorial Day address will reflect on the struggles of family and friends who have lost loved ones in military conflicts.  “They are the ones people forget about,” according to Wondra, a member of Lomira’s Bintzler-Waehler Post No. 347 and Oakfield’s VFW Post No. 8092. The veteran  has shared with school groups and civic organizations his experiences as a young soldier in Vietnam and his recent return to that country.

Names added to the Veterans Memorial and featured at the open-house exhibit this year are: Abram A. Sheperd, War of 1812; Francis Abbey, Orrin Abbey and Augustus A. Sheperd, Civil War; John F. Yager, World War I; George E. Dolan, Robert R. Draeger, and Harlan D. Olsen, World War II; and David L. Case, 1950s. The Veterans Memorial Committee and the Byron Historical Society continue to research for names of veterans who lived or are buried in the Town of Byron.

Firing squads from Lomira’s Bintzler-Waehler Post No. 347 and Oakfield’s VFW Post No. 8092 will assemble at the Town of Byron Veterans Memorial for the event. The outdoor portion of the program will end with “Taps” sounded by members of the Lomira High School band and a bagpipe reflection performed by Dr. Joseph Haak.

The open house exhibits will feature Town of Byron military artifacts, a tribute to the veterans whose names were added to the Memorial in 2015, and a listing of over 600 soldiers and sailors from Fond du Lac County who died during the Civil War. In addition, the exhibit will include the Veterans Photograph Wall, an on-going project to collect photographs of Town of Byron veterans. Gravesite photographs and service information on each of the 91 veterans buried in Town of Byron cemeteries and Town of Byron Medal of Honor recipient Oscar Brookins are included in the exhibit.

Town of Byron veterans in attendance at the open house will receive certificates of appreciation and a commemorative Veterans Memorial Pin. Veterans and family members are invited to bring photographs and memorabilia for display and discussion.

The Byron Town Hall and Veterans Memorial is located at N3097 Highway 175 in Byron.