Roger Fevold, Badger
By JESSE HELLING, Messenger staff writer BADGER — For Roger Fevold, honoring Badger’s veterans is personal. Fevold has lived in Badger most of his life. He served in the 2nd Marine Corps during World War II, seeing action in the Battle of Okinawa and serving as part of the occupation force of Japan after the war. During the Korean conflict, Fevold saw action again as part of the 1st Marine Division. “My brother preceded me in the Corps, said Fevold. “He put time in in the Korean War, too.” Both Fevold brothers’ names are inscribed in granite at the Badger veterans memorial. Fevold serves on the committee that helped make the memorial a reality. Dedicated in May 2007, the monument lists all known veterans of the greater Badger area from World War I to the present day. The monument, which stands on the grounds of the Badger Volunteer Fire Department, is still a work in progress, Fevold said. Since the initial dedication, which was attended by the Air National Guard 133rd Test Squadron Honor Guard, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1856 Color Guard, representatives of the Patriot Guard Riders and Iowa Sen. Daryl Beall, D-Fort Dodge, the monument has grown to include granite benches and commemorative bricks, Fevold said. Earlier this spring, the next phase of the monument was added, which included new tablets that listed dozens more names of veterans. Yet to be completed is a lighted flag pole arrangement featuring the flags of the United States, Iowa and the POW flag, Fevold said. ‘‘We want to try to establish a fund so we can replace the flags as they wear out,’’ he said. A brass plaque commemorating World War I veterans was moved to the monument from the city park in Badger. Eventually, the plaque will have its own permanent stand, Fevold said. A formal completion date has not been set, he said. Instead, work will continue as money becomes available. ‘‘Our hope is that, with a little more publicity, we can encourage local people and corporations to contribute more,’’ he said. ‘‘We are a rather small group that undertook the project ... I’m surprised things have gone so well.’’ The Badger Lions contributed $1,000 to the project during last spring’s dedication ceremony. That money was added to contributions from the city of Badger, Mid-American Energy Co. and several individuals. The committee has also held fundraisers — and likely will again, Fevold said. Fevold said he was asked to serve on the committee because he is a veteran and he knew or knows many of the people the monument honors. ‘‘We’ve tried to make sure the names have been inscribed as properly as we could,’’ he said. ‘‘We checked and rechecked and rechecked.’’ Fevold and his fellow committee members used the existing veteran’s memorial board — which was erected in the early 1990s and is in disrepair — along with written records to work to leave no veteran unhonored. For Fevold, a longtime lumberyard worker in Badger, serving on the memorial committee was his first major project honoring the military in which he served, he said. ‘‘It’s been a nice experience,’’ Fevold said.
Contact Jesse Helling at (515) 573-2141 or jhelling@messengernews.net
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