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Each Memorial Day, veteran visits grave of soldier he met brieflyit'If we cannot do him honor while he's here to hear the praise,“Then at least let's give him homage at the ending of his days.“Perhaps a simple headline in the paper that might say:“Our country is in mourning, for a soldier died today.''— F.M. DonahueBy DAN ENGLANDThe Salina Journalames Trepoy was ending his one-year tour in Vietnam an ribbing the cooks about finally getting a good meal in Salina when the young soldier approached him.“Where did you say you were from? the soldier asked. “Salina/’ Trepoy answered. “Well, I just came from there. My name’s Rodger Jameson.”Jameson, a 19-year-old soldier, was nervous about facing his first tour in Vietnam. Trepoy was about to go home. The two sat down with their trays of food, and Trepoy told him what to expect.He told Jameson he would visit his parents. He told Jameson he would see him in Salina when he got home after his tour.After returning home, Trepoy was shocked to open The Salina Journal in August 1969 and see that Jameson had been killed.“We had just sat down to breakfast — it was a Sunday morning — and I was just so stunned,” Trepoy said.Trepoy, 77, a career Army soldier who served in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam, only spent a few hours with Jameson before leaving for Salina. Now he travels to Roselawn Memorial Park and spends a few moments with him every oiice in a whileat his grave.And each Memorial Day, Trepoy visits Jameson’s grave.“I just want him to know that we are still aware of him even though he’s passed away,” Trepoy said.“It’s just something I feel I should do out of respect for him and his family.Trepoy joined the Army in 1942 and retired in 1970. He had visited Jameson’s parents several times while Jameson was serving, and so when he read of Jameson’s death after serving about four months, he went to their home.Jameson’s mother requested that Trepoy sit with the family at his grave during the funeral.“They were very upset and bitter against the military, which I could understand,” he said. “They were just devastated.”Trepoy said he tried not to get too close to the soldiers. It was impersonal for a reason.“You’d go crazy if you worried about the men all the time,” Trepoy said. “But I kind of sit and think about things.”Trepoy said he might forget some names but never the nicknames.Trepoy said he would visit the graves of other soldiers more often if they were located in Salina. Visiting Jameson’s grave is a way for Trepoy to be with all of those who died.Visiting the grave helps him think about a saying that all Army soldiers carry with them throughout their lives: “We take care of our own.”Memorial Dayobservances• CEMETERY VISITS: Veterans organizations will meet at 10 a.m. today at Memorial Bridge on East Iron Avenue to travel to Salina’s cemeteries to honor Memorial Day.• WAR MEMORIAL:The veterans will be at the Salina-Saline County War Memorial in Sunset Park at 11:30 a.m. for ceremonies there before eating lunch at the American Legion.The events are open to the public.T EDUCATIONStudprits fitpal shnw orrnHuatinn
Newspaper Details
Salina Journal
Salina, Kansas, US
Mon, May 25, 1998
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Salina P.
KS, USA 31 Jul 2022
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