Former members of the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing salute the names on the War Memorial during the re-dedication of the memorial at the Fremont County Airport. Pictured are Col George Devorshak, in front row, Steve Knutson, Max Schuermann, Gene Rust, Sonny Billingsley, Bobby Sutton, Charlie Wells, and Ron Doughty, from left in back row.

Re-dedication honors Vietnam vets

Charlotte Burrous
Record Staff Writer
Monday, September 16, 2002

Members of the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing gathered Sunday to re-dedicate a wing of the memorial at the airport to 102 members of the unit who died in Southeast Asia.

Col George Devorshak led the informal ceremony, which took place at the Col Leo Sidney Boston War Memorial Park in the Fremont County Airport and Industrial Park.

The men who spent the weekend in the area include Col George Devorshak, Steve Knutson, Max Schuermann, Gene Rust, Sonny Billingsley, Bobby Sutton, Charlie Wells, Ron Doughty, Tom Pirtle and Andy Anderson.

As the National Anthem played, eight members stood at attention under a warm September sky, remembering those who served in Southeast Asia and those who died on September 11.

In his opening remarks, Devorshak said that during the past week, those who were directly touched by the attack a year ago, as well as the whole nation, relived what happened. The country paused to remember and pay tribute to the heroic and innocent people who lost their lives on September 11.

The observance was called "America Remembers." The theme for Sunday was "We Remember."

"Today, we stand here to remember and pay homage to heroes who gave their lives in direct service to our country in years long past," Devorshak said.

Society as a whole tends to forget, but those who were directly affected by the events of September 11 will never forget, he said.

"Those of us assembled here have not forgotten and will not forget because we, too, were directly impacted," Devorshak said. "We were there."

He said the members have resolved to honor and not forget the heroes whose names are inscribed on the memorial.

"They are all heroes in every sense," Devorshak said. "We will go to our maker knowing that we have touched these heroes. I will go to my maker knowing that I worked with the heroes who made this (memorial) possible."

Ten former 12th Tact members traveled from all over the country, including Alabama, Oklahoma, Illinois, Texas, Alaska, Virginia, Utah and Colorado.

Because Devorshak couldn't attend the original dedication ceremony in 2001, the group decided to come back to Colorado for an informal ceremony.

"I couldn't get out of Washington, D.C., last year because of the terrorist attacks, so this is extra special to be here this year," he said.

Although the primary focus of the weekend was to hold a board meeting and re-dedicate the memorial wing at the airport, the men took time to reminisce, visit area businesses and socialize.

The 12th TFW History Project, Inc., began in 1996 after years of searching for an F-4 Phantom fighter jet as the center of a memorial for the unit.

When Gene Rust, who lives in Arvada, saw the jet plane on display at the airport, he contacted County Commissioners Jim Schauer and Keith McNew, and other community members.

Because Ron Packard, a native of Cañon City, died in Vietnam and was a member of the 12th Wing, the commissioners agreed it was a good idea.

The Wing immediately started a fund-raising campaign to pay its share of the war memorial.

"We raised the money through e-Bay sales; selling paintings, flight manuals and other items," said Rust.

The 12th Tact war memorial is here for two reasons; one is because the commissioners were so helpful, said member Bobby Sutton, who set up a Web page at www.12tfw.org.

The men joked, laughed and played throughout the weekend, but Devorshak said the members haven't forgotten why they came together.

"The people in this county have been so gracious, and went beyond and above to help us build this memorial," Sutton said.

The other reason is because it's a living memorial.

"As we find more and more names, we'll add them to the wall," he said.