Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Barb Barker and Janice Kirchhoff (holding the photo of her brother Gary Barker) and other family members attended the Memory Wall ceremony at the Vietnam Wall Memorial.
Kimball veteran Gary Barker's name was read at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., along with 565 other individuals who died as a result of their injuries during the Vietnam War.
It was an emotional few days as Barb Barker and her family traveled to Washington. Nearly 50 years after Gary Barker's death, Barb submitted all the documentation to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and received word that he met the qualifications to be honored. Seventeen other Nebraska names were read during the ceremony.
On June 16, a dinner was held. The following day was the ceremony and reading of the names. Concluding the event was a rose ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Barker died seven years after he was injured by shrapnel metal in Vietnam. The injuries he sustained in the attack eventually led to his death.
Barker had been awarded a Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Vietnam Service Medal, National Defense Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon, the Marksman Badge and Rifle Bar and now his name has been added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
