On a bright but cold Veterans Day afternoon, folks gathered at the wind-swept Golden Belt Memorial Park north of Great Bend Friday. The large crowd bundled and huddled against the chill to dedicate the forth stone of the Barton County Veterans Memorial,

Flags whipped in the stiff north breeze. Great Bend High School band performed the service songs of the different military branches. 

County commissioners, county officials and other dignitaries sat in the shadow of the four shiny grey granite slabs.

“On these stones are the names of some 1,480 men and women. These Barton County soldiers and their families have sacrificed much, all have given some and some have given all so that our children can walk in faith in our hallowed America,” said Barton County Commission Chairman Shawn Hutchinson. He read through a list of names that appear on the memorial, including one who died at Pearl Harbor and one who endured the Bataan Death March.

In many cases, the honored included family members from multiple generations. They ranged from the Civil War to the present.

“It is because of that shared love of country and honor and duty that we’re able to gather today,” he said.

The site pays tribute to vets with ties to Barton County who have served in all conflicts and in all branches of the military. It features those living and deceased, and those on active-duty as well.

Until now, it consisted of three stones engraved with those names.

The first two stones flank a center obelisk. In addition to the stones, there are flags representing the branches of service, including Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy and Merchant Marines.

Hutchinson’s son Eli and Eli Krier, grandson of District 1 Commissioner Kirby Krier, brought forth a red wreath and laid it at the foot of the center stone.

“We are forever grateful for the sacrifices made by our soldiers and their families,” he said. “These men and women did not serve in vain. We’ve engraved their names here on as a constant reminder of our gratitude for their services.”

An ‘amazing monument’ 

“For this dedication of the forth stone on Veterans Day, we gathered to honor the bravest American citizens, the many citizens who served in our military to protect our freedom,” said keynote speaker Mark Mingenback. “We’re gathered to honor the veterans whose names are etched into the fourth stone.”

He addressed the history of the “amazing monument” from its origins in 2011 with the late County Commissioner Kenny Schremmer and the Memorial Parks Advisory Committee. “Now, with 11 years of hard work from the committee and the various county departments, with the support of the County Commission, we’re gathered here on Veterans Day in 2022.”

The center stone was dedicated in 2014, the first stone 2015, the second stone in 2016 and the third stone in 2018.

Mingenback said among the names of the fourth stone are his father, father-in-law and others in his family tree. 

“There are thin threads that knit together all of our family’s stories. All of us have very unique family stories,” he said. He related how had his veteran ancestors not settled in Great Bend following their service, his family would not exist.

“I would say that’s a thin thread indeed,” he said.

A special presentation

“We have a special treat,” Hutchinson said. Judy Burnette with Golden Plains Quilts of Valor awarded Jeff Miessler with a quilt.

“We’ve been giving quilts since 2014, and the one that we give today will be number 893,” Burnette said.

She said Miessler was a Marine from 1983 to 1993. Then, he returned to service and was in the Air National Guard for another 12 years.

“So he has 22 years of military service,” she said. “And he still is helping out because the military calls him to come back in. Today’s he’s working on drones. He goes to Afghanistan wherever they need him.”

“I know how special that honor is because my wife Jamie and I got surprised at the American Legion one time” and got their quilts, Hutchinson said. Both he and wife are veterans.

“I want to thank you all for coming today. And I want you to know that Veterans Day is a very special holiday to me,” Hutchinson said. “It’s a very special holiday to me for many reasons. But one of the most important is because of my very favorite veteran, that’s Lt. Col. Jamie Hutchinson.

“So I’d like to thank you Jamie for being by my side all these years,” he said. “And if it wasn’t for the military, good bad or indifferent, I probably wouldn’t even be here because I met Jamie in the in the service.”

The ceremony ended with the playing of taps by trumpeter Mark Webster and the singing of the “Star Spangled Banner” by Ely Somers.