All Stories — More Than A Headstone

Service in Black and White

A lifetime of dedication to the military and to our country is something worth celebrating and respecting. But a lifetime of dedication to one’s profession and one’s dreams is just as important.

Lifetime of ServiceJulianna BeckertOctober 15, 2019

The Angel of Anzio

There are 2,371 people interred in Fort Logan who have received the Purple Heart, an award that is given to those in the military who are wounded or killed in battle. Of those 2,371 veterans, two are women.

Lifetime of ServiceJulianna BeckertOctober 15, 2019

Anti-Vietnam War Veteran & Community Activist

In December of 1967, Frank was shipped out to Vietnam where he worked in the kitchens and in waste disposal, which mainly consisted of burning garbage.

Know Your EnemyJulianna BeckertOctober 15, 2019Vietnam War, Chicana/o Movement, Mexican Americans, Su Teatro Cultural and Performing Arts Center

German Immigrant, American Serviceman

Richard Oskar Menzel was born in Leipzig, Germany on June 14, 1897. He immigrated to the United States on the S.S. Württemberg on November 10, 1921.

Know Your EnemyJulianna BeckertOctober 15, 2019

A Secret Weapon

There are many things that define a person’s life, whether this is where they live, what they do, or how many children they raise.

Obstacles & OpportunitiesJulianna BeckertOctober 15, 2019World War II, Japanese Americans, Defense Language Institute, Minidoka, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, segregation

Man on the Mountain

There are many things that define a person’s life, whether this is where they live, what they do, or how many children they raise.

Obstacles & OpportunitiesJulianna BeckertOctober 15, 2019World War II, Japanese Americans, Defense Language Institute, Minidoka, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, segregation

A Story of Love and Joy

Being one of ten children in any time period is hard enough but doing so under the cloud of the Great Depression was, to say the least, exceedingly difficult.

Sisters in ServiceJulianna BeckertOctober 15, 2019Dale Goetz, Fort Logan National Cemetery, Purple Heart, Loxie L Dowdy, Vietnam War, 3439 WAF Student Squadron, LGBTQ+, Lackland Air Force Base, Lucille Laugesen

Interred but not Deterred

George Tanaka grew up in Seattle, Washington, a part of the Japanese American community that lived primarily on the West Coast.

Obstacles & OpportunitiesJulianna BeckertOctober 15, 2019World War II, Japanese Americans, Military Intelligence Service, Defense Language Institute, Minidoka

A Lost Hero Found

Captain Tostevin’s F-6P aircraft was shot down and it was determined that he died in the crash. However, it would be another 68 years before his family would be able to lay Captain Tostevin to rest.

Never ForgottenJulianna BeckertOctober 14, 2019World War Two, Air Reconnaissance, Fort Logan National Cemetery, MIA, Tostevin, Franklin B, Westfield High School, Union Junior College, Eigen, Germany, F-6P Aircraft, Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross

Challenging Norms of His Day

The story of Vern Adamson is set in a time that is much different than what we see now, but, even so, as his family story illustrates, he challenged traditional norms of his day.

Love War & a SuitcaseJulianna BeckertOctober 11, 2019World War I, World War II, lawyer

Hyphenated American

During and after the first World War, there was a severe backlash against German Americans. President Woodrow Wilson spoke disparagingly of “hyphenated” Americans, who he saw as threats to the United States due to a fear of mixed loyalties

Know Your EnemyJulianna BeckertOctober 10, 2019World War II, German Americans; POW, “hyphenated American”

A Bible not a Gun

Dale then told his wife that he wanted to become an Army Chaplain. Christy was afraid that he would be killed with the war raging in Iraq, but Dale signed up to become a Chaplain in 2004.

Lifetime of ServiceJulianna BeckertOctober 9, 2019Dale Goetz, Fort Logan National Cemetery, Army Chaplain, 4th Infantry Division, Kandahar Province, Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Maranatha Baptist Bible College, Central Baptist Theological Seminary