Le Mars remembers Naval aviator 40 years later
By Tim Gallagher Journal staff writer | Posted: Saturday, December 15, 2007
LE MARS, Iowa -- A Patriot Guard Rider handed Connace Fraser a lapel pin to wear to a memorial service for her brother Friday morning in Le Mars.
"It's Never Too Late," the pin read. "Welcome Home."
Fraser wore it as 150 friends and family members gathered at Grace Lutheran Church to honor the life of Lt. j.g. Norman L. Roggow, a U.S. naval pilot who was killed in action Oct. 8, 1967, in Vietnam when his plane crashed into a mountainside near Da Nang. He was 26, the oldest of five children of the late Orville and Linda Roggow.
"I'm the one who wanted this to be a small, private service," said Fraser, who was 24 when her brother died. "I was wrong. I know now in talking with many people here that this is bigger than Norman."
"I thought there might be 10 or 12 people here other than our family," said Curtis Roggow, Norman's younger brother. "I can't tell you how impressed we are with the support we've seen."
The family first witnessed it an hour before the service as 40 Patriot Guard Riders from North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa lined the entrance to the church. Many were Vietnam War veterans. All carried U.S. flags.
The Roggow family met each of them, one at a time.
"I left part of me in Vietnam as some of my friends didn't come home and get to enjoy the American life and family as I have," said Ron Harvey of Le Mars, who served with the Army's Ninth Infantry Division southwest of Saigon from 1967-69. "This I felt was the least I could do."
"I came out to pay homage to another brother," said Kenneth Becker of Le Mars, a Marine who served in Vietnam from 1966-67. "After all these years he needs a proper welcome home."
From Brooke to war
Norman Lee Roggow grew up on a farm eight miles north of Aurelia, Iowa, and played basketball for Brooke Consolidated School. The lanky lad was one of eight members of the Class of 1959, the last class to graduate from the rural school.
"He was smart as a whip," said Vincent McGee, a junior at Brooke when Roggow graduated. "And he was a better basketball player than me!"
Roggow graduated from Wayne State College in 1963 and entered the Navy. He completed flight training, became a naval aviator and four years later was flying missions off the coast of Vietnam.
On Oct. 8, 1967, Roggow served as co-pilot on a radar plane off the carrier USS Oriskany. The plane took off in foul weather and crashed into a mountain 10 miles northwest of Da Nang as it tried to return to the Oriskany. Officials were unable to reach the wreckage because of the steep terrain and nearby jungle.
"The day his plane went down we had two men in uniform from the military come to our home," said Curtis Roggow, then 14. "I got this pit in my stomach."
Officers informed the family that Norman's plane was overdue. Four days later they learned there were no survivors.
"I can remember weeping with my dad the night we got the telegram," said Curtis.
"He was my protector, my defender, my friend and big brother," said Connie.
A memorial service was held a few days later at Grace Lutheran Church in Le Mars, where the family had recently moved. Curtis remembered singing "Eternal Father, Strong to Save." The family grieved, joined by members of the community and Norman's fiancee from California.
Then, life returned to as normal as normal could be. Norman's fiancee headed back to California, exchanged a few letters with the family and later married. Mother Linda built a shadow box for her son's flag, decorated it with his medals and wings. They kept a small scrapbook, preserved his letters home, including one written to Mom and Dad on Oct. 4, 1967 -- four days before his death.
Curtis named a son Andrew Lee, taking Norman's middle name.
"We missed him," Curtis said. "We thought of him, but there was a sense of closure."
The emotions resurfaced Oct. 24 when the U.S. Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced the remains of five servicemen, including Roggow, had been accounted for and would be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
DNA supplied by Fraser and another sister, Marva Hanson, matched that collected at a burial site excavated in Vietnam. It was the link the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory needed to return Norman's remains to Northwest Iowa.
Same processional hymn
The family planned a funeral service for Friday, expecting a small turnout based on two factors: Norman died 40 years ago; and much of the family now lives in Minnesota and Kansas.
They were wrong.
"When we saw the Patriot Guard Riders standing out here in this frigid weather, we were amazed," Curtis Roggow said. "And to have (Iowa) Gov. (Chet) Culver lower all flags for Norman, it really meant something."
Meant even more, he said, when area veterans at the start of the service Friday saluted Norman's remains -- remains contained in an urn carried forward by Navy Lt. Joseph Phillips as the congregation sang "Eternal Father, Strong to Save," the same processional hymn used four decades ago.
"I did pretty good until I saw the veterans here salute Norman," said Curtis. "And when officer Phillips gave his salute after placing the flag beneath his urn, it was pretty overwhelming."
"I lost a cousin over there and two friends," said the hometown buddy, McGee, who served with the Army in Vietnam 40 years ago. "I came here today to welcome Norman home. He had a good head on his shoulders.
"I'm glad our country is going back over there to bring our remains home," he said.
Another Aurelia soldier
U.S. Navy Lt. j.g. Norman L. Roggow wasn't the only Aurelia man to lose his life in combat in Vietnam. According to the National Archives, U.S. Army Pfc. Denny Lowell Bruce was killed Nov. 4, 1966. He was 20 and died from hostile fire. His body was recovered.
"It's Never Too Late," the pin read. "Welcome Home."
Fraser wore it as 150 friends and family members gathered at Grace Lutheran Church to honor the life of Lt. j.g. Norman L. Roggow, a U.S. naval pilot who was killed in action Oct. 8, 1967, in Vietnam when his plane crashed into a mountainside near Da Nang. He was 26, the oldest of five children of the late Orville and Linda Roggow.
"I'm the one who wanted this to be a small, private service," said Fraser, who was 24 when her brother died. "I was wrong. I know now in talking with many people here that this is bigger than Norman."
"I thought there might be 10 or 12 people here other than our family," said Curtis Roggow, Norman's younger brother. "I can't tell you how impressed we are with the support we've seen."
The family first witnessed it an hour before the service as 40 Patriot Guard Riders from North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa lined the entrance to the church. Many were Vietnam War veterans. All carried U.S. flags.
The Roggow family met each of them, one at a time.
"I left part of me in Vietnam as some of my friends didn't come home and get to enjoy the American life and family as I have," said Ron Harvey of Le Mars, who served with the Army's Ninth Infantry Division southwest of Saigon from 1967-69. "This I felt was the least I could do."
"I came out to pay homage to another brother," said Kenneth Becker of Le Mars, a Marine who served in Vietnam from 1966-67. "After all these years he needs a proper welcome home."
From Brooke to war
Norman Lee Roggow grew up on a farm eight miles north of Aurelia, Iowa, and played basketball for Brooke Consolidated School. The lanky lad was one of eight members of the Class of 1959, the last class to graduate from the rural school.
"He was smart as a whip," said Vincent McGee, a junior at Brooke when Roggow graduated. "And he was a better basketball player than me!"
Roggow graduated from Wayne State College in 1963 and entered the Navy. He completed flight training, became a naval aviator and four years later was flying missions off the coast of Vietnam.
On Oct. 8, 1967, Roggow served as co-pilot on a radar plane off the carrier USS Oriskany. The plane took off in foul weather and crashed into a mountain 10 miles northwest of Da Nang as it tried to return to the Oriskany. Officials were unable to reach the wreckage because of the steep terrain and nearby jungle.
"The day his plane went down we had two men in uniform from the military come to our home," said Curtis Roggow, then 14. "I got this pit in my stomach."
Officers informed the family that Norman's plane was overdue. Four days later they learned there were no survivors.
"I can remember weeping with my dad the night we got the telegram," said Curtis.
"He was my protector, my defender, my friend and big brother," said Connie.
A memorial service was held a few days later at Grace Lutheran Church in Le Mars, where the family had recently moved. Curtis remembered singing "Eternal Father, Strong to Save." The family grieved, joined by members of the community and Norman's fiancee from California.
Then, life returned to as normal as normal could be. Norman's fiancee headed back to California, exchanged a few letters with the family and later married. Mother Linda built a shadow box for her son's flag, decorated it with his medals and wings. They kept a small scrapbook, preserved his letters home, including one written to Mom and Dad on Oct. 4, 1967 -- four days before his death.
Curtis named a son Andrew Lee, taking Norman's middle name.
"We missed him," Curtis said. "We thought of him, but there was a sense of closure."
The emotions resurfaced Oct. 24 when the U.S. Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced the remains of five servicemen, including Roggow, had been accounted for and would be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
DNA supplied by Fraser and another sister, Marva Hanson, matched that collected at a burial site excavated in Vietnam. It was the link the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory needed to return Norman's remains to Northwest Iowa.
Same processional hymn
The family planned a funeral service for Friday, expecting a small turnout based on two factors: Norman died 40 years ago; and much of the family now lives in Minnesota and Kansas.
They were wrong.
"When we saw the Patriot Guard Riders standing out here in this frigid weather, we were amazed," Curtis Roggow said. "And to have (Iowa) Gov. (Chet) Culver lower all flags for Norman, it really meant something."
Meant even more, he said, when area veterans at the start of the service Friday saluted Norman's remains -- remains contained in an urn carried forward by Navy Lt. Joseph Phillips as the congregation sang "Eternal Father, Strong to Save," the same processional hymn used four decades ago.
"I did pretty good until I saw the veterans here salute Norman," said Curtis. "And when officer Phillips gave his salute after placing the flag beneath his urn, it was pretty overwhelming."
"I lost a cousin over there and two friends," said the hometown buddy, McGee, who served with the Army in Vietnam 40 years ago. "I came here today to welcome Norman home. He had a good head on his shoulders.
"I'm glad our country is going back over there to bring our remains home," he said.
Another Aurelia soldier
U.S. Navy Lt. j.g. Norman L. Roggow wasn't the only Aurelia man to lose his life in combat in Vietnam. According to the National Archives, U.S. Army Pfc. Denny Lowell Bruce was killed Nov. 4, 1966. He was 20 and died from hostile fire. His body was recovered.
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Mark wrote on Dec 15, 2007 8:05 AM:
A proud vet! wrote on Dec 15, 2007 2:42 AM: