The Fort Dodge community gathered together Monday to honor those heroes with a traditional Memorial Day ceremony at Terry Moehnke Veterans Memorial Park on the edge of Badger Lake north of Fort Dodge.

Speaking to the crowd filling the park’s amphitheater, Tom Dorsey, the adjutant of American Legion Post 130, cited the example of Lou Conter, who was the last survivor of the Dec. 7, 1941, sinking of the USS Arizona when he died at age 102 on April 1. Conter, he said, made the point that the 1,177 sailors who died when the battleship went down in Pearl Harbor were the heroes.

“Lou’s sentiment was undoubtedly influenced by his own humility, for he did serve heroically throughout his 26-year Navy career,” Dorsey said. “But his larger point must also be remembered. We were able to raise families, continue careers and live good lives because of the sacrifices made by the young men and women who never came home.”

“As proud Americans, we should remember that freedom is not free,” he said.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
The Color Guard of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1856 brings the American flag into the amphitheater at Terry Moehnke Veterans Memorial Park to begin Monday's Memorial Day ceremony.

Veterans organizations, he said, are dedicated to preserving the history of American troops not to impress others with their war stories, but to preserve the memories of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

“Veterans have seen heroism in its purest form,” he said. “Veterans served alongside the very men and women that we remember today.”

In addition to paying tribute to the fallen, the Fort Dodge Veterans Council uses the Memorial Day ceremony to honor a living veteran for their service to others.

On Monday, the Veteran of the Year Award was presented to Marie Sheeder, of Fort Dodge. She retired with the rank of commander after 24 years of service in the Navy and Naval Reserve.

She was born on the Fort Knox Army base in Kentucky, where her father, a veteran of three wars, was assigned at the time. She attended the University of Texas and the Brackenridge School of Nursing before enlisting in the Navy. She was on active duty for four years before transferring to the Naval Reserve.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Tom Dorsey, adjutant of American Legion Post 130, speaks during Monday's Memorial Day ceremony at Terry Moehnke Veterans Memorial Park. Dorsey was the master of ceremonies at the event.

Sheeder is a member of the Webster County Veterans Affairs Commission and the chaplain for American Legion Post 130. She is also the coordinator of the food pantry for Holy Trinity Catholic Church and a leader in the Catholic Daughters of the Americas.

“I was blessed with parents that had a great sense of patriotism and volunteerism,” she said.

The Memorial Day ceremony began with a half-hour concert by the Karl L. King Municipal Band. The band concluded with “Salute to America’s Finest,” a medley of the songs from the various armed services. The crowd applauded as veterans of the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy stood when their service’s song was played.

The Color Guard from Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1856 brought the American flag into the amphitheater.

Scott Johnston presented a special oration entitled “Duty, Honor, Country” accompanied by the band.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Tom Dorsey, left, presents Marie Sheeder with the Veteran of the Year Award on behalf of the Fort Dodge Veterans Council during Monday's Memorial Day ceremony. Sheeder served in the Navy and Naval Reserve for 24 years.

Johnston later returned to the podium to read the names of all the Webster County veterans who had died since the 2023 Memorial Day service.

The ceremony concluded with the playing of taps and a rifle salute fired by the VFW Color Guard.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
The crowd at Terry Moehnke Veterans Memorial Park, including an Air Force veteran displaying his years of service on the back of his cap, listens to the Karl L. King Municipal Band during Monday's Memorial Day observance.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Rows of trees, each one dedicated to a veteran, line the hills of Terry Moehnke Veterans Memorial Park overlooking Badger Lake. Volunteers worked for about 150 hours to get the park ready for Monday's Memorial Day ceremony. Their work included spreading about 160 bags of mulch around the trees.