Name: When blue turns to gold – The unveiling of a Gold Star Monument
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When blue turns to gold – The unveiling of a Gold Star Monument

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Skip to main contentYou have permission to edit this article.EditHomeNewsSportsObitsLifestyleOpinionClassifiedsMarketplaceTHE BLESSING – Father Gerald Okoli of the Diocese of Gaylord sprinkles holy water on the Gold Star Monument, during the unveiling of the granite fixture at the Oscoda Veterans Memorial Park.NEW MONUMENT – A Gold Star Monument was recently unveiled at Oscoda Veterans Memorial Park to honor soldiers, as well as their families, whose blue star has turned to gold – indicative of their passing during their time in service.GOLD STAR MOTHER – Carol Johnson, senior vice president of the Mid-Michigan Chapter of American Gold Star Mothers – and a Gold Star mother herself – is pictured here at left. She helped the audience understand how important this Gold Star community has been to her and so many other mothers and family members of Gold Star soldiers. Johnson is seen next to Rose Mary Nentwig, co-director of the Oscoda Veterans Memorial Park.A DREAM COME TRUE – Jane Dady, a member of the Tawas Area Honor Guard and the Department of Michigan Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Senior Vice President, smiles with happiness at having achieved her dream to install a Gold Star Monument in Iosco County, as she admires its amazing artistry.SALUTE – Standing in salute, State Representative Mike Hoadley joins the audience on Sept. 24 at Oscoda Veterans Memorial Park, to witness and honor the unveiling of one of Hershel “Woody” Williams Gold Star MonumentsCROWD PAYS RESPECTS – Almost 100 people came to show their respects at the unveiling of a Gold Star Monument at the Oscoda Veterans Memorial Park on Sunday, Sept. 24.MUSICAL INTERLUDE – Danny Althouse sang the Billy Joel lullaby “Sleep My Angel,” a beautiful but bittersweet reminder that although death is inevitable for all of us, some things can live on to tell our stories, such as lullabies – and monuments.THE BLESSING – Father Gerald Okoli of the Diocese of Gaylord sprinkles holy water on the Gold Star Monument, during the unveiling of the granite fixture at the Oscoda Veterans Memorial Park.NEW MONUMENT – A Gold Star Monument was recently unveiled at Oscoda Veterans Memorial Park to honor soldiers, as well as their families, whose blue star has turned to gold – indicative of their passing during their time in service.GOLD STAR MOTHER – Carol Johnson, senior vice president of the Mid-Michigan Chapter of American Gold Star Mothers – and a Gold Star mother herself – is pictured here at left. She helped the audience understand how important this Gold Star community has been to her and so many other mothers and family members of Gold Star soldiers. Johnson is seen next to Rose Mary Nentwig, co-director of the Oscoda Veterans Memorial Park.A DREAM COME TRUE – Jane Dady, a member of the Tawas Area Honor Guard and the Department of Michigan Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Senior Vice President, smiles with happiness at having achieved her dream to install a Gold Star Monument in Iosco County, as she admires its amazing artistry.SALUTE – Standing in salute, State Representative Mike Hoadley joins the audience on Sept. 24 at Oscoda Veterans Memorial Park, to witness and honor the unveiling of one of Hershel “Woody” Williams Gold Star MonumentsCROWD PAYS RESPECTS – Almost 100 people came to show their respects at the unveiling of a Gold Star Monument at the Oscoda Veterans Memorial Park on Sunday, Sept. 24.MUSICAL INTERLUDE – Danny Althouse sang the Billy Joel lullaby “Sleep My Angel,” a beautiful but bittersweet reminder that although death is inevitable for all of us, some things can live on to tell our stories, such as lullabies – and monuments.OSCODA – The third Sunday in September has been designated as Gold Star Mother’s Day, a day when mothers – whose son’s or daughter’s blue star has turned to gold (indicative of a soldier’s passing) – come together in support to bring their soldier’s memory back to life.As fate would have it, Joseph Brinn and Rose Mary Nentwig, co-directors of the Oscoda Veterans Memorial Park, were deeply honored on this past Gold Star Mother’s Day, Sunday Sept. 24, for the park to be the new home to one of Hershel “Woody” Williams’ Gold Star Monuments.Williams (1923-2022) spent 20 years in the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and Marine Corps Reserves, and 33 years working for the Department of Veterans Affairs as a Veterans Service Representative.He created the Woody Williams Foundation with the mission to, “honor, recognize, and serve Gold Star Families and the legacy of their Loved Ones who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.”His motto was, “The Cause is Greater than I.”Williams’ ultimate goal was to support the installation of Gold Star Monuments in communities all around America. He wanted to, as he put it, provide a place of permanence for Gold Star Families to gather and utilize as they see fit. This includes public education of their meaning, outreach to Gold Star families to encourage community connectedness and support and to recognize and honor a soldier’s ultimate sacrifice, as well as that of their loved ones.Williams, who entered the USMC Reserves in May of 1943, had previously worked for a Postmaster when he was young and one of his tasks was to deliver Western Union telegrams informing families of their soldier’s passing. After he had delivered the devastating news, the blue star posted on the front of a soldier’s family home would turn to gold – a silent communication to the community of their devastating loss.The effect of having to perform such an emotionally difficult task repeatedly, only just out of high school, was life changing for Williams and became one of his foundational touchstones.This would have been right around the time that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor – a time of Victory gardens, and women working in factories making the planes their men would fly and the munitions that they would use in battle.During his service, Williams received the Medal of Honor, which is the highest medal of recognition that our federal government gives to a soldier who has shown great bravery by risking their life in combat beyond expectation. He also received a Purple Heart medal, which is given to a soldier who has been injured or killed in the line of duty. To learn more about Williams, go to https://woodywilliams.org/.Upon welcoming almost 100 attendees, Nentwig began the proceedings. Danny Althouse sang a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem, which was followed by a blessing placed upon the Monument by Diocese of Gaylord’s Father Gerald Okoli.As the crowd bowed their heads in thoughtful reflection, Althouse moved into his next piece, “Amazing Grace,” in a reminder that there is still hope after hardship and loss.Nentwig then introduced the husband-and-wife team whose dream it had been to bring a Gold Star Monument to Iosco County – Ralph and Jane Dady.Ralph is a Vietnam Veteran who served in the Marine Corps, and is also a Purple Heart recipient. Jane is a member of the Tawas Area Honor Guard and additionally serves as the Department of Michigan Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Auxiliary Senior Vice President.Their extended family is steeped in the commitment and tradition of military life; Dady’s brother and brother-in-law also served during the Vietnam War, and their son-in-law served in the Gulf War. Once they learned about Woody’s dream, they knew immediately that they wanted to help bring a Gold Star Monument to this area.The Dadys have always sworn that they would see that the families of our fallen would never be forgotten. “We have stood beside many and experienced their grief and loss,” Jane said in part, while addressing the crowd.The Dadys’ dream included that, “Veterans and their families should be recognized 24 hours a day, not just during the daylight,” Jane continued. “We wanted the monument to light up; the Gold Star and the soldier on this monument will be illuminated with a gold light at night.”The Dadys expressed that they are honored to gift and dedicate this monument to the Gold Star Families of Iosco County.Three years ago, after the couple had saved enough money to finance this dream, they approached John Bolen, owner of Tawas Bay Etchworks, to see if he could help make this dream come true – and, indeed, he could. A five-foot-tall, six-foot-wide piece of black granite was found in India that fit the bill to honor Gold Star GIs and their families.The stone would have quite the journey before it traveled all the way from India to Oscoda. First, it sailed on a ship to California, then traveled by train to Chicago. Following this, it was loaded onto a semi and driven to Ohio, where a company was hired to carve out the silhouette of a soldier. From Ohio, it traveled on a flatbed truck to Bolen in East Tawas, where the Dadys worked with him to finalize the engraving.The black granite was no longer simply a stone, but a prestigious monument. Its final journey to its new home and final resting place was made on Bolen’s truck, from East Tawas to the veterans park.The Dadys offered their sincere gratitude to Brinn and Nentwig, for allowing the Monument to be installed in the park; to Larry Gerhardt from Lakeshore Cement Products, who donated bricks, limestone and labor; to Team Elmers and Butterson Construction, who donated the concrete pad; and last, but not least, John Bolen, who helped make it all happen.Following the Dadys, VFW Auxiliary Department of Michigan President Sara Manke shared how “completely humbled” she was to be there, and awestruck to see a Gold Star Monument in person.Carol Johnson, senior vice president of the Mid-Michigan Chapter of American Gold Star Mothers, as a Gold Star mother herself, helped the audience understand how important this Gold Star community has been to her and so many other mothers and family members of Gold Star soldiers, by providing a place to honor Gold Star members and their families, and to give them a level of comfort.Dady also introduced Debbie Scheetz, who is the VFW Auxiliary Junior Vice President, thanking her for supporting them throughout the years it took to bring this monument to the park with all of its ups and downs.Amidst those coming to pay their respects to this momentous occasion were VFW Auxiliary District 5 President Nancy Gaglio, and State Representative Mike Hoadley, who is an Air Force veteran himself.Hoadley took the time to thank each of the speakers for their hard work in bringing this national symbol to our county. In speaking with him after the event, he shared his sincere and deep-felt honor to be a part of the day’s proceedings, if only in the audience.The final musical portion of the service included Nentwig singing “You Raise Me Up,” written by Rolf Loveland; Althouse singing a lullaby, “Goodnight Angel,” written by Billy Joel, and “Taps,” traditionally performed on a trumpet.The News-Herald mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the News-Herald on your mobile device just as it appears in print.Get ready for adventures with our June Summer Guide!Celebrate our 2023 graduates!Powered by BLOX Content Management System from BLOX Digital.

Skip to main contentYou have permission to edit this article.EditHomeNewsSportsObitsLifestyleOpinionClassifiedsMarketplaceTHE BLESSING – Father Gerald Okoli of the Diocese of Gaylord sprinkles holy water on the Gold Star Monument, during the unveiling of the granite fixture at the Oscoda Veterans Memorial Park.NEW MONUMENT – A Gold Star Monument was recently unveiled at Oscoda Veterans Memorial Park to honor soldiers, as well as their families, whose blue star has turned to gold – indicative of their passing during their time in service.GOLD STAR MOTHER – Carol Johnson, senior vice...

When blue turns to gold – The unveiling of a Gold Star Monument

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