Striving to Honor Veterans

(Originally Published in the News Letter Journal)

By

Michael Alexander, NLJ Reporter

A group of Newcastle residents is committed to building a memorial to honor local veterans. The group, the Newcastle Wyoming Veterans Memorial Committee, was formed about six years ago and has been dutifully working toward the realization of the memorial ever since.

The impetus for the project came when the executive committee chairman, Duke Ottema, went on a vacation, appreciated the veterans memorials in other towns and could not help but note Newcastle’s lack of a comparable monument.

Motivated to correct this, Ottema teamed up with other veterans and interested civilians to form the committee. The current executive committee consists of Ottema, Vice Chairman Mick Bohn, Director Dan Keierleber and Secretary Kasey Keeler. These individuals, along with the rest of the group, have worked tirelessly to make the Newcastle memorial a reality.

About four years ago, the group approached the city about working together and making the memorial a part of the now-abandoned Heritage Park project.

“We got an estimate of what Heritage Park was going to cost. It was $3.2 million. So, when you say that in a community of 3,500 people, they just say, ‘Good luck!’” Ottema said with regard to the lack of traction attained for the combined park and memorial project.

More than a year after approaching the city, the group decided that the best course was to raise the funds on their own.

“It’s a slow process, but we’re gaining,” Ottema said of the group’s fundraising efforts. The memorial’s estimated cost is $725,000, and Ottema said that they’re about a third of the way toward reaching this goal.

Another boon for the group was the donation of the land where they intend to construct the memorial. This is in the open lot in front of Pinnacle Bank.

According to Ottema, Pinnacle Bank President Justin Tystad was aware of the challenges that ultimately led to the abandonment of the Heritage Park project. Tystad reached out to the memorial committee and offered to donate the land, which the group gladly accepted.

Although construction of the memorial has yet to begin, the group, along with Tystad, teamed up with Newcastle resident Stanley Jasinski to commemorate 9/11. Both Ottema and Tystad were surprised at the turnout for the event.

Tystad cooked hamburgers for those who attended the commemoration.

“We kind of planned on 50 (people showing up), and we actually ordered enough food for 150 – it’s always good to have too much food – and I think we served all but two burgers,” he said.

Encouraged by the public’s response, Ottema said that the group plans to make the commemoration an annual event. He also shared another reason why he and the rest of the group were pleased with the success of the event.

“It really put it out there to the community that we’re actually going to (construct the memorial),” he said.

While the group still has much fundraising to do, they are prepared with a design, which was put together by Tall Grass Architecture from Custer, South Dakota. This design was made by incorporating elements from assorted designs that were drawn up by members of the group.

They’ve also got a tentative start date for construction, which will be April 1, 2025. Ottema said that S&S Builders from Gillette, Wyoming, will be performing the construction. However, he recognizes that the scheduled date is aspiration and may or may not need to be changed depending upon whether the group can continue to fundraise successfully.

Moreover, they enjoy seriously committed members in the group. For instance, one member, Kathy Decker Levasseur, actually relocated to Newcastle from Casper to help ensure the construction of the memorial. Though not a veteran herself, this is a personal endeavor for Decker Levasseur as her brother died from leukemia, most likely associated with Agent Orange exposure during his service to the country in the Vietnam War.

According to Decker Levasseur, the group has applied for a number of grants to help pay for the construction. However, it’s a waiting game right now as the group does not expect to hear back on any of these until the beginning of next year.