Three former students to be honored at Gold Star Hall ceremony

November 08, 2024

Man stands in limestone foyer with stained glass and names carve

Gold Star Hall just inside the Memorial Union north entrance. File photo by Christopher Gannon.

 

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Herrick Jr.

James Herrick Jr. was on a reconnaissance mission over Laos in 1969 when the plane he was piloting was lost near the North Vietnam border, and he was never seen again. Six years later, the Iowa State University graduate was declared killed in action.

Herrick is one of three former Iowa State students who will have their stories shared during the annual Gold Star Hall Ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 13 (4:15 p.m., MU Great Hall).

The Gold Star Hall Ceremony, which was started in 2003, is a way to remember and honor Iowa State students who died while serving their country. The names of these students are inscribed on the walls of Gold Star Hall inside the north entrance of the Memorial Union. Each year, the ceremony committee selects a group of students to recognize with narratives about their lives before the war and their experiences during the war.

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Peterson

This year's honorees are (click on each link to read their story):

  • Army 1st Lt. Sidney Peterson, who served in World War II and died after taking on anti-aircraft fire aboard a B-26 Marauder.
  • Air Force 2nd Lt. Max Harvey Collins, who died when his aircraft crashed on takeoff during the Korean War.
  • Air Force Capt. James Wayne Herrick Jr., whose plane was lost near the North Vietnam border during a reconnaissance flight.

President Wendy Wintersteen, Memorial Union director Chad Garland, ISU student veteran Brandon Culwell, and chair and professor of military science Army Lt. Col. Frank Sperl will speak during the ceremony. There will be performances by an ISU student string quartet, ROTC Air Force Cadet Choir and an Iowa Army National Guard Band bugler.

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Collins

The men's personal narratives will be read by three military veterans.

The Memorial Union was built in 1928 to honor Iowa Staters who died in World War I. It continued to be a living memorial for students who died in future conflicts. Additional names have been added to the walls of Gold Star Hall throughout the years.