By Karen Haave
The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall lists the names of more than 58,000 service members who gave their lives between 1957 and 1975. But one in particular earned a special tribute when the 375-foot-long replica, of the monument in Washington, D.C., was displayed last week in Monee.
First Lieutenant William H. Gottschalk, HMM-262, MAG-36, 1ST MAW, III MAF, was a Monee native and the only soldier from the village known to have perished in Vietnam. Monee Historical Society President Emerita Christi Holston said the MHS placed his photo and biographical information near his name on Panel 19E, Line 95, in recognition of his sacrifice.
According to the MHS, “Bill Gottschalk was a quiet, shy kid who grew up on a farm just southwest of Monee, which his parents later sold to Bill and Evelyn Heusmann. Bill loved two things more than anything else in the world – farming and flying.
“He was a member of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) all through high school and, in his senior yearbook, he wrote he wanted to become an airline pilot.
“The love of flying was nurtured and encouraged at Monee Elementary by his science teacher, Don Stevenson, who had served in the military and who taught Bill and his best friend, Dennis Flamini, how to build flying models.
“After graduating from Crete-Monee High School in 1961, Bill enlisted in the Marines so he could fly helicopters. He became a Captain on Marine 1 in Washington, D.C. and was recommended for MAR CAD helicopter training in Pensacola, Florida.
“In 1966, he met and married Barbi, less than a year before being sent to Vietnam. They kept in touch while he was away by sending cassette tapes to each other.
“Bill was tragically killed while shuttling cargo from Ky Ha to the Marble Mountains in Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam, when the aft pylon separated, causing his aircraft to crash into the sea. There were no survivors.”
The Moving Wall was on display in Monee for four days last week, with opening ceremonies on Thursday afternoon. Keynote speaker was Medal of Honor recipient Allen Lynch.
Lynch earned the Medal of Honor after serving as a radiotelephone operator in the forward element in Company D, on an operation near the village of My An, when his unit became heavily engaged and outnumbered by enemy forces. Observing three wounded comrades lying exposed to enemy fire, Sgt. Lynch dashed across 50 meters of open ground through a hail of enemy fire to administer aid.
When his company was forced to withdraw by the superior firepower of the enemy, Sgt. Lynch stayed behind to aid his comrades, at the risk of his life, rather than abandon them. Alone, he defended his isolated position for two hours against the advancing enemy. Using only his rifle and a grenade, he stopped them just short of his trench, killing five.
Again disregarding his safety in the face of hostile fire, he crossed 70 meters of exposed terrain five times to carry his wounded comrades to a more secure area. Once he had assured their comfort and safety, he located the counter attacking friendly company to assist in directing the attack and evacuating the three casualties.
Speaking about the Vietnam Memorial Wall, he said, “Race doesn’t separate those listed on the wall, they all died serving our country.”
Monee Village Trustee Michael Wilson, a Vietnam Veteran, also spoke about the wall during the opening ceremonies.
“The somber atmosphere of the memorial gapingly contrasts with its bustling surroundings, emphasizing the gravity of the sacrifices made,” he said. “The significance of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial transcends its physical structure. It stands as a testament to the importance of honoring those who served and recognizing the complexities and costs of war. Let us never forget the fallen!
“I leave you with this final remark about the wall: The power of this monument lies not just in its design or the names inscribed, but in its enduring ability to remind us of the true cost of freedom and the importance of never forgetting those who served.”
Other ceremonies at the wall in Monee included reading the eight names of women inscribed, all nurses, including: Eleanor Grace Alexander, Pamela Dorothy Donovan, Carol Ann Drazba, Annie Ruth Graham, Elizabeth Ann Jones, Mary Therese Klinker, Sharon Ann Lane, and Hedwig Diane Orlowski. Their names were read in a ceremony at noon on September 7.
