About the Memorial Unions

Gold Star Hall

Gold Star Hall is the memorial in the Memorial Union. In WWI, when a
family had a son or daughter in the service, they displayed a card with
a simple blue star in their window. When a life was lost, the card with
the blue star was changed to one with a gold star hence the name,
Gold Star Hall. Gold Star Hall embodies the memoriam that the entire
Memorial Union building represents.
A quotation by poet John Drinkwater is inscribed at the north door:
For Thee they died, Master and Maker, God of Right
The Soldier dead are at Thy gate
Who kept the spears of honor bright
And Freedoms house inviolate.
When the Memorial Union opened in 1928, the names of 117 Iowa
Staters who died in World War I were carved into the walls.
Early in 1969, ten bronze plaques bearing the names of 369 Iowa State
men who died in military service during WWII were mounted on two huge
bronze doors that stood at the doorway between the vestibule and Gold
Star Hall. The bronze doors were later removed and in 1984, the names
from WWII, Korea and Vietnam were engraved into the limestone. In
subsequent years, additional names were engraved for WWI, WWII, Korea,
Vietnam and the USS Liberty, as well as Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
When the time is right, the names from the Global War on Terrorism will
be engraved in the stone.
Each year, more than a million people pass through this memorial.
Students understand its purpose and many pause on the benches during
the course of their busy daily lives. Gold Star Hall remains an active
memorial.
This quotation is inscribed in the vestibule:
A memorial to the six thousand Iowa State College men and women
who offered their lives during the World War in the cause of
human liberty and free government.

GOLD
STAR
HALL
ny
o
m
e
cer

November 7, 2016

Honoring Iowa State

Servicemen from
World War II
and Vietnam

Program
World War II
Presentation of the Colors and National Anthem,
sung by CDT Craig Stanley and CDT Cole Barbee

Morris Rusch Marks

February 21, 1944 - Utrect, Netherlands
Hometown: Lake Park, IA
Iowa State: Vet Med & Business, 1934 - 1939
Military: Air Corps - 2LT, Pilot

Corey Williamson, Interim Director of the Memorial Union

Dr. Steven Leath, President of Iowa State University
Katherine Gregory, Senior Vice President for
University Services
LTC Ethan Dial, Army
Brandon Lay, Student Veteran
Honoree rememberances by Air Force MAJ
James Stevens (retired), Emeritus Assistant Dean
Tom Polito, LTC Ethan Dial, and Senior Vice President
for Student Affairs Dr. Martino Harmon
Moment of silence
Final reading of names
Taps by David Lass
Retrieval of colors
Viewing of names and displays in Gold Star Hall
Reception in Great Hall
The Memorial Union would like to thank the family and friends of
our honorees for their memories and pictures that enabled us to
tell their stories.
ISU Gold Star Committee: CDR Dan Buhr, LTC Ethan Dial,
Jathan Chicoine, Kristin Erdman, MAJ Matthew Guerttman,
Lt Col Bill McTernan, Jim Olberding, Rod Simpson, Jennifer
Suchan, Kathy Svec, Corey Williamson

Vietnam

Galen Dean Grethen

April 16, 1966 - Phan Thiet Vietnam
Hometown: Emmetsburg, IA
Iowa State: Physics, 1961 - 1963
Military: Army - PFC, HHC, 2nd BN, 502 ND Infantry,
101st ABN DIV, USARV, Medic Paratrooper

Wayne William Gross

August 19, 1968 - Quang Tri Province, South Viet.
Hometown: Carroll, IA
Iowa State: Economics, 1966 - 1967
Military: Marine Corps - 2LT, 2nd PLT, M CO, 3rd BN,
9th MARINES, 3rd MARDIV, III MAF
Donald Gary Lammers
August 24, 1968 - Quang Nam Province, South Viet.
Hometown: Forest City, IA
Iowa State: English & Speech, 1962 - 1966
Military: Marine Corps - 1LT, Helicopter Pilot